An Otherworldly Marital Dispute
by Fan Of Games
Summary: After her trip to the Flower World, Macarona arrives home to find Lil there. Wondering why she's come, Lil says she fought with her husband and left until he gives in to her request for more power. Macarona agrees to let her stay…and becomes involved within a marital dispute that eventually threatens to engulf her world when Satanick comes for his wife.
1. Chapter One: A Surprising Welcome

_Strike an average between what a woman thinks of her husband a month before she marries him and what she thinks of him a year afterward, and you will have the truth about him._

 _-H.L. Mencken,_ _A Book of Burlesques_ _, 1916_

 **Warning: Spoilers for Seven Nights at Clarabella's, Inner Craving, and Atonement.**

…

"Attention, passengers!" a conductor announced over one of the loudspeakers in the car as he was passing through the train to collect tickets from the passengers. "Have your tickets ready!" Striding forward towards the cabins with occupants seated inside them, he knocked on each of the doors he passed by to let the passengers know he came. Opening their doors, they turned over their tickets to him as he gave thanks for said tickets. A few of them actually had train cards for multiple trips with three different kinds of subscriptions available: one for a weekly basis, another lasting a whole month long, and the last being good for an entire year. Once the timeframe for these was up after the period of service they provided, the cards were no longer good unless renewed at stations throughout the Gray Garden. Each type of card cost a certain amount proportional to the value and usage, with tickets being the cheapest to yearly train cards as more expensive. Even so, the prices were fair under the circumstances of payment each option required, so it was not all that costly for passengers regardless of how much they had to pay for a ticket or a card to ride the train.

Looking at a card handed to him by a Nephilim shopkeeper from Gray Village who was on a return trip after conducting some business with another shop in another town to verify it as legit, the conductor smiled and gave his thanks before handing it back. Performing the same process for other passengers in this car, he eventually finished with them and continued along his way into the next car. This daily responsibility was part of the routine as the demonic conductor and two others in the same occupation like him had to handle four of the passenger cars each in a train which had twelve cars in total for them. A caboose was included to store some larger luggage like items stored in crates, whereas the engine of this locomotive drove along the tracks at the head while the drivers controlled it. Two additional dining cars were added for the passengers, plus one kitchen car where chefs prepared food for the other employees and passengers. All in all, it was a pretty long train.

This wasn't the only kind of train in the Gray Garden, for in addition to the passenger trains were cargo trains which delivered heavier equipment and industrial products throughout the world. These were constructed for the purpose of carrying goods and items along trade routes, this cargo consisting of both national and international items acquired from various commercial networks. It was necessary to have them, for the cabooses on passenger trains certainly weren't big enough for storing such goods. Passenger trains would've been slowed down and would've caused accidents; not that accidents were a problem because the railways were safe and had powerful railings which were quite strong enough to prevent the trains from derailing. Even explosions weren't a problem because the engines were built with safe materials and were powered by magic instead of numerous other factors like in other locomotives in foreign worlds. Although some goods were carried in the caboose depending on how small they were, larger items were always placed onto the larger cargo trains because that was the general purpose of such trains built to handle that kind of luggage. The difference was quite evident in their construction, a critical aspect that determined this distinction.

Walking into the last car as the train was entering a tunnel, the conductor went about getting tickets and checking cards for the next several cabins. Approaching the final one, he knocked upon the door as he had done numerous times already before this one. He could hear sounds of an object being put down before the cabin's occupant—there could've also been others, but he only heard a single passenger inside—stood up and walked over to open the door. It slid to the side, showing a young angelic girl in a green and red sailor uniform with crosses on many spots of her uniform as well as a diamond pattern evident on her tights. Brown hair flowed past her shoulders down to her upper torso as bright red eyes blinked when she opened the sliding door to address him. "Yes?"

"Your ticket, please, young lady—unless you happen to have a card?" the conductor asked.

"I do have a card, here it is," the young angel responded, showing him her card which was a yearly subscription. Letting him verify it before taking it back, she then thanked him once he had seen the card and wished him a good evening before the pair went about their separate ways. While the conductor returned to his duties, the angelic girl returned to her seat in the cabin. It was a rather cozy cabin like all the others with the seat also serving as a kind of mattress with a pair of pillows in case she needed to sleep; however, the train was going to be arriving in Gray Village quite soon, so there was no need for that despite being a little tired. The seat opposite her was empty, but there only if other passengers were joining her, and the curtains had already been drawn over the window because it was getting dark out. Her stomach was growling a little, yet she could wait a little longer to get home and put her things to the side before getting dinner ready tonight. Afterwards she could then unpack her things before catching up on some school assignments she might've missed.

Placing her laptop back onto her lap with the charger plugged into an outlet so it would not run out of power, Macarona brushed locks of her hair out of her eyes as she continued to read over the notes she'd taken from one of the books she purchased in the Flower World. As she personally knew Rosaliya Phantomrose, the Flower Devil, Kcalb and Etihw had asked her to lead Grora there with Ater and Arbus so the cat demons could see what the world their parents lived in was like for them. Since Grora had been involved in the incidents regarding their parents, she went with them; the older angel felt responsible for what happened to their parents and also for her abuse of the cat demons, so this was part of her atonement to them for everything wrong she'd done to them. That was a very sweet gesture, one that was needed because Grora had already begun to redeem herself.

While the older trio were there, Macarona stayed with them and Rosaliya as part of the tour they received from the Flower Devil. They got to see a good portion of the land, and once it ended the kitties wanted to return to Skrevera for some time to stay there with Grora in tow. That village had been reconstructed to what it once was before Liliya destroyed the place in the past, the quaint little settlement being among a ruralized pasture of meadows and valleys near several forests where woodland spirits resided. There were also other nature spirits and elementals in the vicinity too as in other parts of the world—in fact, such entities were everywhere throughout the entire world.

As the trio went back there after visiting it and other parts of the Flower World, Macarona spent some more time with Rosaliya learning more about the world, its history, and culture. Some books were presented to her such as a bestiary of the demonic inhabitants, other creatures, and the spiritual beings; and a manuscript on all the various rituals the people performed on a daily basis and also for ceremonial purposes. These were just a couple of those several narratives she received from her friend, and she also witnessed a few of the pagan rites be carried out by priests, clerics, druids, and shamen. Unlike other worlds that allowed both men and women to utilize skills of the same class in the class system, the classes were more specific to each gender in the Flower World. Priests and shamen were male, whereas clerics and druids were female. The several nomadic tribes they saw in addition to urban and rural practitioners also had classes, many of whom had originated in different worlds like warriors, archers, scouts, myrmidons, and mages specializing in the Mancy system of magic depending on the regions and territorial terrains they referred to as their home.

The Flower World was such a serene world that it reminded Macarona of the Gray Garden. The only differences were the absence of angels in the former; cultural, religious, as well as social components of the Flower World which made it a pagan world of traditional values and beliefs; as well as that world's time zone being largely centered on the past. By contrast, the Gray Garden in comparison was a paradise with both angels and demons along with Nephilim; some similar social and cultural aspects with a choice of following any peaceful religion and customs so long as it did not cause any trouble or chaos; and an advanced time zone with civilizational advancements. Even so, both worlds were very much alike and different in several elements that they were both similar.

As the train neared Gray Village, she raised her arms to stretch them and yawned. Opening one of her suitcases next to check if she had everything, the young angel smiled once her eyes had finished going over the clothes she packed for the trip there and back. Moving onto another, there were some miscellaneous items and a couple books she also brought too. Included with them were the others from the Flower World, and she took out one on the foreign world's dialects for a simple look at a few of the pages before putting it back, making a mental note to continue studying it. She had managed to learn some words of one language and how they were pronounced, but she'd need to continue practicing to become more fluent. It was a challenge, but not too difficult since the girl was quite a natural when it came to other languages—perhaps being a descendent of Rigatona, her ancestor, helped too in that regard. In any case, she kept checking her things to make sure she had everything in place and was eventually satisfied knowing she still had everything which was good as she didn't want to lose anything, especially the few souvenirs from the Flower World: the books and a necklace with several small rune stones, tiny stones, and various charms on it. The necklace was a gift of friendship from Rosaliya for good luck, protection, and fortitude in tough hardships.

"Attention, passengers!" a conductor called over the loudspeaker again. "Gray Village will be our next stop! Gather your belongings before you disembark!" After hearing the reminder from him, Macarona pulled back the curtain slightly to peer out the window and gaze upon the town as the train approached. She could make out some of the buildings in the market district by now with the streetlights shining down on various spots to light the way for anybody still out at that time of night. Some stores might've been closed by now with a few others still open, and even restaurants were also staying open to cater to customers eating out for dinner. The thought of restaurants made her a bit hungrier than she already was, though Macarona elected to eat at home tonight. Although she could've simply gone out, she was slightly exhausted and preferred to head home instead.

Packing her laptop into a suitcase while collecting her stuff, she stood and stepped over to the door. Opening it, she crossed the threshold and shut it behind her before heading to a doorway on the car. Joining a demon and Nephilim who were waiting together by the same doorway, she didn't interrupt their dialogue about a fishing trip the pair had gone on since it would've been rude of her. Macarona knew some relatives in her rather large extended family liked to fish and hunt as others also worked on farms and plantations. Her family had plenty of ruralized roots with a few urbanized roots including her, so it was only natural for others to think of them as bumpkins from the rural regions. Even so, her family was quite civilized for bumpkins like everyone else alongside their rustic charms. Whatever the case might've been, Macarona was certainly proud of her family and loved them dearly just as they all loved her as well. She relied on them, and they relied on her.

Once the train came to a stop and she disembarked onto the smooth, brick platform, a deep breath of fresh air mixed with the smell of freshly baked bread from a nearby bakery that produced some delicacies even this late in the evening was the first thing Macarona took in while sauntering forward. "Ah, I'm home…" she murmured quietly to herself with a smile on her face, averting her attention to her wristwatch when she stopped briefly to change back to the Gray Garden's national time zone for this region. This world had several time zones like the other worlds, and she needed to configure her wristwatch to the correct one. Glancing over at a nearby clock hanging up outside on the platform, Macarona saw it was eight eighteen and converted the time to that since she wasn't following the Flower World's time zone anymore. In that other world, time was much different as Macarona felt younger in the Flower World than here due to the effect it had on her body. It wasn't like the Weather Season World governed by Elux and Reficul where the time was pretty much the same as this world which the young angel could easily adjust herself to. That was the matter about time in other worlds: adjusting to it could be like regulating to different time zones in one world.

At the very least she returned safely and was still in the final stages of acclimating to time here. Her body was already alright and gradually became accustomed to these changes as time was passing at a fair pace. In light of being a little tired, Macarona felt she could go to bed at a normal timeframe and wake up the next morning fully rejuvenated—or mostly refreshed for another day.

Strolling over to a set of stairs leading down towards the street, the angelic girl walked and descended them to a sidewalk. Continuing on her way, she passed by several shops including ones she frequented such as The Auburn Tulip. The lights in several of these stores were off and curtains were drawn over the windows, some still being done while the train's whistle blew in the distance behind her to indicate it was now heading out for another town or the train yard it was stored at. A couple were still open as she looked into the windows to see what was on display, and a few of the employees even waved to her. Waving back while returning them a smile with eyes shut, Macarona went about her own business as she allowed them to continue theirs. Exiting the market district as another shop closed for the night as indicated by the owner locking the door, the young angel was making her way towards the residential district when she came across one of her teachers nearby.

"Ah, Macarona, hey, what's up?" Lowrie asked amiably as he approached her, noticing her while ambling down the sidewalk with both hands in his pockets. "You're back already? I thought you were going to be away for a little while longer. How was your trip to the Flower World?"

"Good, thank you, it was really nice seeing Rosaliya again," Macarona responded, smiling at him as the two of them stopped to chat for a bit. "I could've stayed longer, though I cannot hold off on my assignments for school. That's why I had to come back, though I can go back for another visit. Were there any assignments I missed while I was away so I could catch up to other students?"

"There are a few things we've sent via mail so you can get to them. It's a good thing you've got this weekend to finish up the ones that are really necessary," the bird demon replied, reaching an arm forward to gently examine the necklace around his student's neck. "That's a nice necklace you've got there? Were there any other souvenirs you brought back from the Flower World?"

The angel nodded. "Yeah, this and some books. Why? Were you thinking I should take the stuff in to show everyone?" she inquired, thinking that was an idea her teacher was thinking of. It was a thought; perhaps she could if given permission to do so, hence why she asked about it. This was also something she had done after her trip last year to the Weather Season World as well.

"You could if you want," Lowrie remarked to answer her inquiry. "I'm sure everyone will be interested in hearing about your trip to yet another world. You sure do get around, Macarona."

"Thanks, I suppose you could say that, though I should be getting home to unpack and rest. It was a long trip back," Macarona commented as she left. "Have a good evening, Mr. Lowrie!"

He nodded and waved as she left. "Thanks, you too, Macarona! Oh, one more thing…"

"Yes?" the angelic girl asked as she turned to face him again. "What is it, Mr. Lowrie?"

"Word around town is that somebody's looking for you," the demonic teacher commented as he began to give a brief explanation about the matter to her. "I don't know who it is to be honest, but this person sure seems to know you. Some of the other students mentioned this in class today."

"Someone is on the lookout for me?" Macarona asked rhetorically. "Hm, I wonder who the individual could be…Well, I'm sure I'll find out tomorrow at best. It is a Saturday, so I could take some time to wander around town in search of whoever it is. It was nice chatting with you, sir!"

"Yep, same here! Now if you'll excuse me, I must be meeting some friends for dinner," he replied, waving goodbye again just as she waved back at him to end the conversation they had.

Turning around after separating from her teacher, the young angel shut her eyes to wonder who had been searching for her. "Someone looking for me…" Macarona murmured quietly, more to herself than anyone else in particular—a couple other residents were walking down the sidewalk too, though they didn't hear her. They may have been neighbors from around the block who might have been busy with their own affairs which was why she didn't interrupt them. Still, she found it odd there was an individual seeking her. Lowrie would've told her who it was if it was somebody she knew from around here, meaning it wasn't one of her friends from Gray Village. It also could not have been someone from her family since Lowrie had an amazing memory and had met each of her family members before when she first moved to Gray Village and also at one family reunion at her house. Pondering on this person's identity, Macarona came to the conclusion it must've been some other associate of hers, likely another friend from a foreign world. It definitely couldn't have been Rosaliya as she saw her in the Flower World, and Queen GriRea was attending to affairs as the ruler of all underworlds. Mercury was far too busy with her own work under Elux as well. That left only three other individuals: Sin, Rane, and Lil. Yet Lowrie would've told her that the former two would've been seeking her because he was originally from their world, leaving only Lil if the demonic lady managed to sneak out of the Devil's Kingdom. Either her, or somebody else entirely.

Sauntering down the sidewalk with her luggage in hand, Macarona was slowly coming up to her house at this moment when a peculiar sight caught her attention at once. When she departed for the Flower World with Grora and the cat demon twins, she left all the lights in her home off as a gesture showing she wasn't home. She even had the blinds and shutters closed too, plus she drew the curtains over each window and checked to make sure everything was off. Yet the lights in both the kitchen, living room, and a guest room from the looks of it were all on with the curtains pulled back and the shutters and blinds on each window were wide open. There was even smoke coming out of the chimney, meaning somebody had to have thrown a couple logs in to set them ablaze. An odd display suggesting she was home—earlier than expected, though she just got here today now.

There was no motive why someone was in there to make themselves at home. Macarona's friends knew where the outside key was hidden to unlock the front door in the event they required something they sought to borrow from her, and they even had permission to do so and leave a note to explain what they took and why even if the object in question was returned soon after. Some of her family members in the other towns knew her friends and could go to them for the key if they've considered going in, whereas other relatives could've called to learn about her friends and the key.

Steeling herself for something bad in case it was probably an intruder considering how the Land of the Sun was hostile to the Gray Garden during the last invasions, the young angel narrowed her eyes in determination and quietly walked over towards a flower pot near the shed on the home's left side. There was a plastic plant inside with some false dirt attached to it, its appearance making the thing look like a real plant to deceive any intruders who may have had sinister intentions rather than good purposes. Pulling the piece out to check if the key was there, her eyes widened slightly. "The key's still here?" she inquired to herself in surprise. "But then…how could anyone enter the house without it?" Rifling through her own pockets and even her suitcases to check if she still had her own house key, Macarona found she certainly did have it which eliminated the idea of someone pickpocketing her for it. Not only that, but all the windows really had been closed; they were even locked like the front and back doors. How could somebody have gotten in under those conditions?

A thought crossed her mind as she suddenly averted her attention to the chimney. That was the only access point into her house. Anyone with wings could've simply flown up. But that…was also unlikely since hardly anybody couldn't fit into it. A small child, perhaps, one who might have gotten scared inside. Yet little children might not have known a chimney could've been used to go into somebody's house. They probably didn't have much experience flying, so that removed them from the list of suspects. Maybe somebody used magic to make themselves small to get in, which was not all that hard to consider. Perhaps that was the case, and Macarona seemed to be leaning to side with that idea if nothing else came to mind. It was the only notion she could think of now, and all she needed to do was put a face and a name to the unknown individual intruding in her home.

There were two ways to go about initiating the confrontation with whoever was inside. She could've gone right in without utilizing stealth, or she could've gone for a stealthy approach. There was no telling who was inside, and Macarona was sure none of her friends or family would ponder on whether to throw a surprise party for her return. It wasn't necessary, and she also felt sure none of her otherworldly friends would've done the same or something else entirely either. There simply had to be a reason why whoever was in there stayed in there and made themselves at home without her knowledge of the individual, who he or she was, and what he or she was doing there. No matter who it was, Macarona had to confront the intruder and hurried to the front door when another idea occurred to her. Maybe it was Soa, having come back to try and eat her again…but then again, she heard Raspbel's doppelganger had become neutral—sort of, if chaotic neutral was truly neutral.

The angelic girl shook her head, shutting her eyes as she mentally prepared herself. Opting for a quiet entrance instead of just barging in, Macarona inserted the key into the lock and unlocked the front door. Carefully opening it so the thing wouldn't creak on its hinges, she could hear sounds from the television already and figured the unknown intruder had turned it on. While that might've alleviated some of the tension, Macarona still didn't know who was here. Cautiously entering, her feet hardly making any noise on the welcome mat inside, the young angel knelt down to take both mary janes off her feet to avoid making more noise. Quietly setting her luggage down by the door, she stepped forward slowly and shut it behind her as silently as she could. Turning her back to the wall, leaning upright against it, the angel sidled up to the corner and peered around it. She heard a familiar tone of voice humming in the kitchen, though she couldn't be certain of who the individual was. Continuing to sidle towards the kitchen threshold, Macarona quietly darted into it to find…

…herself blinking in surprise at the sight of the supposed intruder. "Lil?!"

Standing in front of the stove wearing a violet black dress with muted pink hair flowing all the way down to her legs was the demonic lady in question. She turned to face the angel, that facial expression of excited joy on her face not at all an indication of surprise. If anything, Lil seemed to have been expecting her because she was certainly happy to see a close friend of hers whom she'd likely known would be returning around now. Most likely she was the person searching for her as the lady's behavior likely suggested that. "Oh, hey Macarona! Welcome home! It's been a while!" Lil beamed happily, preparing some dinner for the two of them to eat—well-done steak with some mashed potatoes and a side of spinach—as a sort of welcoming party for her. Of course, it was just the two of them here since nobody else was invited. Taking a couple moments to come forward to greet her young hostess who was still very much bewildered to find an otherworldly friend at home before her, Lil seized Macarona in a hug while laughing happily. "Oh, it's so good to see you! I've missed you so much! How was your trip to yet another world, by the way?" This question was put forward after she had finished embracing the angelic girl to get some oven mittens since Lil placed something into the oven too—specifically the corn muffins she was baking for the both of them.

Macarona simply blinked, still in a state of surprised shock at finding Lil in her kitchen just when she had already arrived home. While she was grateful for the lady's hospitality—even though this was the angel's house—towards her, her bafflement outweighed her gratitude. "U-um, the trip was good, thank you," she managed to at least answer that inquiry. Her first word was stuttered as it also could've come across as a sign of nervous tension she may have been feeling, though there was no reason for her to even feel that way. Macarona was surprised, not nervous, yet she couldn't help but stutter that word anyway due to her bewilderment. Nonetheless, she was also pretty happy to see Lil too regardless of the circumstances since they were good friends. "Nice to see you too," Macarona remarked, her shock eventually receding as the kitchen phone rank while Lil went back to the stove and continued preparing dinner while the young angel went over to answer the phone.

"Ah, Macarona, could you get that?" the demonic lady asked. "I'm a bit busy right now."

"Already on it," the angel replied and picked up the phone, holding one end to her ear and the other up to her mouth so she could talk through it. "Yes, this is Macarona speaking? May I ask whose calling, please?" she inquired politely to which the caller on the other end responded to her.

"Well, well, if it isn't one of the four heroines herself," the other individual said, revealing herself to be none other than Etihw since Macarona recognized her voice. The Goddess giggled, a sign she was in a good mood—if she wasn't overworked due to escaping work on purpose. Maybe it was because she was glad for a short break from it by calling Macarona. "Hello, Macarona, who do you think it is? It's me, Etihw. How are you? Was the trip to the Flower World satisfactory?"

"It certainly was," Macarona responded, leaning against the fridge door as Lil headed into the dining room to set the table. "I had a great time with Rosaliya; it was swell seeing her again."

"Yes, I well-aware the two of you seem to be good pen pal friends," the Goddess chuckled, putting forth another question regarding Grora and the cat the demons. "How about Grora and the kitties? Did Ater and Arbus enjoy visiting the world their parents were originally from in the past?"

"They were doing well last time I saw them before they left for Skrevera. After they did it was just Rosaliya and I, so the two of us caught up on affairs in our respective worlds. Although I didn't mention our neutrally strange allies, I did speak about some other things like those previous invasions. She sends her regards and best wishes, and is glad we've survived that serious incident."

"Ah, good, and you've made it home alright?"

"Yep, I just stepped in a couple minutes ago, actually. How are you doing, Miss Etihw?"

An exasperated sigh of irritated frustration came through the connection, followed by noise of somebody purposely banging her face on the table out of annoyance. Yet Macarona even heard the sound of several small wheels at the end of a chair's legs roll back. Subsequently was the sound of feet plopping up on what may have been a desk or a table. "Swamped by work…" the Goddess growled, hissing that comment out before she must've turned her head to yell at someone. "It's all your fault, you idiots! I was having so much fun picking apples with some good friends of mine!" Her childish demeanor only made Macarona smile and giggle at Etihw's expense even though that was rude. She couldn't help it, however, even as she heard Kcalb make a logical retort back at her with an instruction to hang up and keep working. "I'm talking to Macarona, a good friend of mine! She won't make me work the overtime like you morons do!" That received another logical retort.

"Sorry if I'm keeping you from your work, Lady Etihw," Macarona apologized as Lil came back in, apparently having heard that part of the conversation since the demonic lady was laughing too with the young angel. "I've got to go now since I've got company over. I'll talk to you soon."

"Wait, don't hang up yet, Macarona, I can still afford a few minutes to talk!" Etihw replied, more in protest of duties she was procrastinating from on purpose for what might have been longer than necessarily needed for her. Still, she managed to bring up some gossip from around town that had apparently become quite a rumor or so that day. "I heard from Kcalb somebody was searching for you? Do you know who this lady is? Is she a friend of yours from somewhere, perhaps? Maybe somebody from your family? This individual's not too dangerous at all is she? Did you meet her?"

"As a matter of fact, I did, actually," Macarona replied as Lil cupped her hands around her mouth, unable to resist the temptation of shouting out a greeting to the Gray Garden's Goddess.

"HI ETIHW!"

Etihw must've blinked in surprise, slightly startled by the lady yelling as she probably just fell out of the chair. "O-oww…hey, wait, Macarona, who the hell was that screaming through just now? Is that the lady looking for you, or is it one of your other friends or someone?" she inquired.

"Just Lil," the young angel answered her inquiry with a simple answer identifying the lady.

"Lil, huh?" the Goddess responded before a sudden thought popped up in her mind because she made a realization upon hearing the demon's name. "Wait, wasn't she one of your friends from another world whom you met last year at that little get-together Sin threw at Reficul's house? The lady whom you said was married to Satanick?" Her second question came out sounding suspicious, and she was right to feel that way because of what she knew about the Gentleman Devil. Macarona knew as well, though she trusted Lil to the fullest extent whereas Etihw was careful about the lady.

"Yep, that's her, alright. She was in my house, actually, where I found her."

"At your home?" Now the Goddess was really getting worried, and she had to turn to speak with Kcalb again when he must've spoken up about the demonic lady. "She said Lil is in her house, Kcalb…No, I don't know why, I didn't ask that yet! You do realize what this means right, knowing Satanick's wife is in our world?!" It appeared she was getting agitated at the thought of somebody from another world not allied to theirs because it could've meant yet another world—mainly a hell to be specific, particularly the Devil's Kingdom—would've invaded. Although they could've held faith in Fumus to help them solve this problem if it became a lot worse than they initially thought, it was also possible this was not going to be an issue if this was a simple visit Lil was paying to be with Macarona for a short while. The young angel believed Lil wasn't going to cause trouble, and she knew she needed to try and alleviate the legitimate fears and concerns Etihw was raising during the conversation. Kcalb must've also been wondering why Satanick's wife was in their world too.

"Don't worry, Miss Etihw," Macarona attempted to assure her it was alright. "I'm positive Lil's only here to visit for a bit. I'm sure everything will be fine, just leave this to me, alright?"

"Look, Macarona, I'm okay with you meeting this woman outside of our world if she does not harm you or try anything suspicious towards our world in general," Etihw clarified that for her since she was genuinely worried about the angel and this world as a whole. Macarona understood, and she was thankful to the Goddess for caring about such matters because of the possible threats. However, Lil was a close friend of hers from another world, and she didn't want to run the risk of offending her accidently or otherwise since that could've sparked tensions between this world and the underworld Lil was from. "Though I'm not too comfortable knowing she's within our world."

"Just calm down, Miss Etihw. I don't want to turn her away since she's a good friend. Still, I do understand your concern and shall be careful if it'll please you. Not only that, but she can hear what you're saying." Saying this, she watched as Lil gave two thumbs up to show she was alright, fully aware that her presence in the Gray Garden was a sensitive matter that had to be handled very delicately. The demonic woman grinned too while shutting her eyes, so that was also a comfort.

Realizing her mistake for voicing her concerns that loudly over the phone, Etihw breathed deeply to soothe her nerves since she knew what she said could've led to conflict with the Devil's Kingdom. She didn't know Lil was totally fine with it yet, however. "Alright, very well, I trust it's something you can handle on your own. You've helped defeat Ivlis before to stop his invasion, so it may be fine as you say, especially since you're Rigatona's reincarnated descendent. If you claim she'll not be a threat, I trust you. Nonetheless, I would like for you to bring Lil to the castle at once tomorrow so I can speak with her with Kcalb and Wodahs to determine the purpose of her arrival."

Macarona nodded as Lil simply smiled. "Sure, I can do that. Lil understands the matter."

"Well, in any case you can never be too careful. Hopefully this doesn't end on a sour note. I wish you good luck until then, and I can only hope you'll be safe alone with her until she goes to the hotel if she's staying there—unless she happened to find a spot for herself in your house."

"I know, but thanks again, Miss Etihw. We'll see you tomorrow morning," Macarona said. "Have a good evening," she then added too, hanging up the phone after saying goodbye to Etihw.

"Sounds like one of your leaders is real excited to see me too," Lil remarked as the angelic girl turned back to face her after she hung up. There was not a single hint of sarcasm or malicious intent in her tone of voice, and the grin plastered on the demon's face showed she was just joking.

"It's okay, I'm sure Miss Etihw and the others will officially welcome you with open arms tomorrow," the young angel uttered with a smile of her own now that her surprise had receded. An important matter that still had to be inquired into was the matter of what Lil was even doing here—and also how she managed to get into the house without a key. Of course, Rosaliya had once stated that Lil was a vampire demon when the two of them spent a weekend in the Weather Season World at the home of Sin and Reficul. Perhaps Lil had some vampiric powers enabling her to bypass any doors, windows, or the like. Yet these notions would be addressed over dinner since Macarona felt it was time for them to eat. However, the food still needed to be dished out and she also neglected to get the mail because she'd been distracted by Lil's presence in her house. "I'm just going to run out to my mailbox to get the mail. Could you get the meal ready while I do that and return, Lil?"

The demonic woman smiled with a nod. "Yep, sure thing, Macarona!" she replied, getting right to that while her angelic hostess headed back out into the hallway and returned to the entrance. Putting her mary janes on, she strode outside for a few moments towards the mailbox. Opening it, Macarona pulled out a bunch of letters and junk mail and began to flip through it for organization. Setting the important stuff into one stack while the other pile consisted of the junk mail sorted into it, the young angel returned inside and placed them onto a hallway table by the vase on it. "Dinner's ready!" Lil called from within the dining room as Macarona removed her mary janes again before heading through the hallway to find two sets of dinnerware set out in front of two seats across from each other. "I hope you like it! I've got a lot of culinary experience from making meals like this!"

"It sure does smell good, Lil," Macarona said as she took her seat across from the demonic lady and picked up a fork and knife to cut into the steak which was covered in some gravy. Popping a piece into her mouth as a smile formed on her face, she shut her eyes and gave Lil a thumbs up of approval since she loved the taste of steak garnished by gravy and garlic. "It tastes swell too!"

"Thanks, it took me ages to get the recipe right the first time I started preparing it!" Lil said and started eating with her. "All those failed attempts and partial successes certainly paid off for a long run of this and other dishes! Believe me when I say I can make almost anything with ease!"

"I'm positive you can," the angel commented as she wanted to get to the heart of this matter by speaking with Lil. It certainly was nice to see the demon again after quite a while, so it would've been good to catch up as she'd done with Rosaliya. She remembered having offered Lil the chance to come and visit the Gray Garden before, but wanted to know what the reason was for the occasion to make for some conversation between them. "So, what brings you here, Lil? Another getaway to have fun with some of the other ladies and I?" she inquired, wondering if that was Lil's motive.

"You could say that's one, though I'm actually here for another reason. You remember me mentioning my dipshit husband, right?" the demonic lady asked, to which Macarona responded by nodding since she was taking a bite of the mashed potatoes. Still, she did recall the fact Lil must've not really liked her husband all that much. The angel heard some things about him from her, though knew they weren't very pleasant especially as Lil called him a dipshit. "Well, long story short, we had a fight. I asked him for more power and he outright blatantly denied my request immediately!"

"The two of you argued over that?" Macarona inquired rhetorically, drinking some soda as she imagined what that must've been like. Specific details of the conflict were not given additional elaboration, though she didn't need them because she could imagine how it turned out. "He refused to provide you what you sought, and in anger you left him after an intense argument. Whether this is a separation or a full divorce is unclear, but you came to me for aid and a place to stay, correct?" Her deductions were correct as Lil simply nodded, huffing in rage directed towards Satanick since he simply didn't consider her demand. However easy or hard it may have been was unclear, though Macarona knew acquiring power and keeping it must've been difficult. "Not to disagree, but power can be hard to wield effectively. He might've felt it was something he had more experience with."

"Experience with, yes, though I've got that too; I am his damn wife after all," Lil retorted, though her anger wasn't directed at Macarona which the angel could understand completely. That was why the angel allowed Lil to complain all she wanted about Satanick. "I know my way around political affairs in the Devil's Kingdom no problem, but his stance towards me receiving power?" Here she looked up at Macarona and began to speak in a haughty tone of voice and acted that way too as a means of mocking and criticizing her husband's argument. "You can't have power because you're a woman, this is a patriarchal society. Bah." Lil took a sip of her own soda to rinse down a bit of spinach. "Hell, GriRea's a Queen and she's more powerful than him since she isn't confined to or restricted by his laws because of her position. I wish I had power too so I could help improve our underworld, but no, that dipshit husband of mine tells me to piss off when I ask him politely."

"Surely there are some things you can do in your position, right, Lil?" Macarona inquired, seeking to cheer her foreign demonic friend up. "I mean, I know this might be naïve, but it cannot be all bad being the wife of a Devil. There must be at least some benefits someone like you can be reaping from the position." Her statement was true in a sense, but not entirely as she acknowledged.

"Very few actually, such as getting to know contacts in high places and wearing the stylish dresses fashionable among the upper classes. Hell, even my status itself gets me some fame around the Devil's Kingdom—somewhat, but not entirely due to the patriarchal elements of the society." She took another sip of soda, washing down mashed potatoes now. "Even other underworlds don't know of me that well. Of course, I can totally understand that because I don't travel abroad often. The only times I do are to see friends like you and get away from the restrictions burdening me."

"And the problem is because you feel you don't have enough power to exercise your rights freely," the young angel deduced, making another statement that got right to the heart of the issue.

"Exactly, Macarona, that's the issue on my mind, and also my primary reason for coming," Lil went on as they ate, having explained herself well enough so her angelic hostess could acquire some pieces of the puzzle from her and fit the rest in on her own. She smiled happily, grateful that she had a great friend like Macarona. "Thanks for cheering me up, by the way. I know what power I have is small compared to how much my dipshit husband's got, but at least it's still something."

"It certainly helps to count what blessings you have whenever you feel a need to dream of more and wish for it to become a reality by putting in the effort to try," Macarona added, happy to have been of help to the demon. "You're also very welcome, and I'll be happy to let you stay here for however long you feel is necessary and needed to think of a solution to solve this problem."

"Thanks, I've already located a guest room for myself and I've already finished unpacking before," the demonic lady commented while taking a bite out of a corn muffin. "You're the best!"

Macarona giggled. "I sure do get that a lot from my friends."

"You deserve it because you're such a guardian angel, Macarona," Lil complimented her.

"That too," the angel smiled, the remark also being quite true since others did say that about her like Lil said. It made her feel needed which she was thankful for because she loved to help out whenever she could. The thought of feeling special was there too, but Macarona was very humble when it came to notions of that sort. She might have been the reincarnated descendent of Rigatona and had helped stop an invasion the Flame Devil had undertaken into the Gray Garden, though she preferred to be a normal girl even if she did also associate with individuals of upper classes in the other worlds she knew of. Essentially those three aspects made her special and unique, but she was always preferring a more modest perspective of herself. Still, it was nice to be appreciated and also acknowledged for her deeds and efforts too which made her stand out to be remembered. Not that she really made that a big part of her life in light of realizing the thought and accepting it as a part of who she was. Macarona took in another whiff of the meal to clear her mind of such matters. She was mentally fussing over this, so she decided to occupy herself with another question for Lil. "So, how were you able to get in here in the first place? The key I've hidden outside was still where I'd left it." Macarona didn't mind informing the demon about that since they were very good friends.

"There was a key?" the lady inquired rhetorically, though shrugged it off because it wasn't a major concern to her. "Oh, well I wouldn't have needed it anyway. I've got vampiric powers for that, having some at my disposal such as turning into mist and bats. Pure vampires have more skills and abilities than I do, though I possess other traits they don't which gives me certain advantages."

"Like what for example?" Macarona asked, taking a keen interest in this topic.

"I can turn into bats and mist faster for instance. However, I can't become a giant bat pure vampires could turn into as well—the same goes for becoming a wolf even if I may act like one at times," Lil explained, going over the subject of hybrid demons as a lecture to give the young angel with a specific example of something. "It's all part of a job description that hybrids follow, a very general job description if you're already aware of them and what they could potentially do."

"I know of hybrid demons and Nephilim, a lot of both whom I know and are related to. It's a topic I'm familiar with, yes, though are there any other benefits in your case, Lil?"

"I get to enjoy the rays of the sun without burning!" Lil smiled happily, liking that benefit. "I suppose you also know that pure vampires can't handle being out in daylight amongst any other weaknesses in general and depending on the specific type one's dealing with. I suppose you might say I'm like a Dhampir, vamps who've been born from the union between a human and a vampire; however, one of my parents was a demon so I'm not a Dhampir at all even if I'm similar to one."

"Indeed, there are plenty of benefits hybrids can enjoy that pure beings cannot," Macarona stated the truth to that, the reiteration serving to cement this fact as what it was. Seeking to discuss another topic now that she figured out why Lil was here and how she entered the house regardless of whether she needed a key or not, the young angel put forth an inquiry pertaining to their fellow associates in the demon's Network of Peers. "What about the other ladies we know? Will they also come over at some point to provide you with any additional support you require to solve the issue?"

"Nope, I tried them all; they're all far too busy with their own affairs to tend to mine."

"What do you mean? I'm sure they'd come help you."

"They would most definitely come in a flash—or as soon as they can mosey on to me," Lil commented with a shrug, not minding their pace so long as they came to help her. "Her Majesty's opinion of me is not very high even though one of my aims is to change that; she believes I should simply know my place and stay put in it. Kind of rude if you ask me whether she's in my network or not, so I can't really rely on her. I know Killie was supposed to join us at the last gathering, but her son fell sick with the flu and she had to stay back—you haven't met her yet, but I'll introduce you the next time she comes. She's a harpy, the wife of the vampiric count, Yatsuzaki, and is also the mother of Killisaki, the sole heir to his father's entire fortune and estate if Yatsuzaki passes. It would be difficult getting Mercury too, what with her own problems and responsibilities for Elux. I've even tried getting through to Sin and Rane, but they're both currently touring the underworlds together for their job as they're searching for more products they can buy, sell, trade, and whatnot; Refi would likely refuse me unless Sin says it's okay, but I know she's too busy with work to even entertain me. I've even tried our cute little friend, Rosaliya, though she was entertaining others as I found out when Hanahata informed me of said guests in her domain for the time being then."

"Oh, I believe she must've been referring to me and some associates of mine over from the castle," Macarona clarified the last detail. "I went to the Flower World and introduced them to her and they stayed behind for a while as two of them had parents who used to live there in the past."

"Well, that explains why she was busy, though she'll probably continue to occupy herself, finding other tasks that need tending to in her world. Hanahata confirmed as much after my call to Rosaliya was bounced over to her," Lil murmured aloud to comment on that. Considering the fact she already met the Flower Witch when she went to the Flower World, Macarona didn't need any further elaboration on who she was. Yet the demonic lady elaborated on another detail she uttered instead. "Killie pretty much said the same thing everyone else did, but more to do with her family since she's helping them with their own affairs." With a sigh as they finished eating, Lil leaned an arm on the back of her chair and shut her eyes. "Everyone's busy these days, it seems, Macarona," she said somberly, saddened by how little support she had in her own problems. "You've been my last resort mainly because I don't have your number. Although I do understand your reason behind that and accept it, I'd still love to add yours so I can confirm if you'll be available or not. This was a pleasant surprise for us both, though I was really worried you wouldn't have had time for me too like the others. My only option was to come right over after sneaking out of the Devil's Kingdom, and I had no way of knowing you could've been available until I heard you were returning today."

Macarona frowned as she listened to the issues Lil was dealing with, feeling how sad she'd been because of how lonely the poor lady must've been in this crisis of hers. Lil was usually quite upbeat and happy, though now she seemed defeated. Macarona knew she was Lil's only hope right now if everyone else was preoccupied with other business of theirs. The demon came to her since she wanted aid, and it felt wrong to turn her away after she'd come so far and checked with others to see if they could also help accommodate her. That was why Macarona made the decision to aid her. "I can make time for you, Lil; you're welcome to join my friends and I in our endeavors. I've got to handle assignments for school just like they do, but you can certainly hang out with us when you want to when we're free. Plus you're welcome to stay for as long as you need to as I've said." Her words brought Lil comfort as the demon beamed happily, leaping from her seat to head around the table so she could embrace Macarona in a hug as a gesture of thanks for the support the young angel was providing. Macarona was always willing to help anyone in need, and she would give Lil all the support the demon needed in order to help Lil overcome these serious problems in her life.

"Thank you so much, Macarona! You really are a guardian angel! Lil replied gratefully as she was so happy to have finally secured the aid she desperately needed. "This is going to be fun!"

"It certainly will," the angelic girl remarked. "I'll introduce you to my friends tomorrow as we show you around Gray Village and Blancblack Castle while you're with us. You'll enjoy that."

"I already am, my angelic friend, I already am!"

This really would be an enjoyably fun experience having Lil over as it was already a blast.

…

 **And so begins another chapter fanfic for the Gray Garden! I thought about uploading this to the site on New Year's Day, but I figured I'd go ahead and just publish it as it is done. There will still be more to the story, though the first chapter is going to be the final thing that goes up in 2015 with the rest being worked on in 2016. I wish you all a Happy New Year!**

 **With regards to the quote mentioned at the top, I found it on the Quote Garden when I was looking up some quotes related to marriage that could probably be implemented. This one was the best I found because I feel it may describe Lil's perspective of her husband from a non-canon standpoint. Allow me to explain my interpretation of this quote: before a woman marries someone, she may have an impression of who the suitor is and what he's like. It may be a positive, neutral, or negative impression based on what came across to her in a bond the two of them shared prior to marriage. After they're married, the woman's perspective might change, or it may just stay the same somewhat if not entirely. Regarding the average, any of the impressions and feelings she may have felt in addition to any thoughts could be combined with the same aspects after being married to form a conclusion based on both. However, the possibility of this being a comparison and contrast is still valid because things might change, both before and after the marriage which might lead to similarities and differences. It could also be said about men as well regarding the flipside of this concept. I could be wrong, but it's my interpretation as I said and it's why I think it may fit Lil's opinion of her marriage to Satanick from a non-canon perspective. If you have any thoughts on this, please feel free to share them too if you're interested in this idea and wish to discuss it with your opinions.**

 **I've also given the world governed by Reficul and Elux a non-canon name as well.**

 **Anyway, once again I'd like to wish you, the readers of my stories, a Happy New Year!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the Gray Garden; it's owned by Mogeko.**

 **Edit: Due to a similarity in what could be a few principals of this story, I'd like to also add that this was an idea I'd been wanting to do for quite a long while ever since I first began to write up ideas for Gray Garden and Wadanohara and the Great Blue Sea fanfics. I forgot to mention this at first because it hadn't occurred to me at the time, but there are a few things in this story that might be seen as similar to bookwormgirl69's fanfic, In Between White and Black. I don't know when bookwormgirl69 thought about writing that story, as I only know that I've been planning** _An Otherworldly Marital Dispute_ **for around a year or so now. I know bookwormgirl69 probably didn't get the idea from me because In Between White and Black was likely published before I thought about putting up a list of my ideas, so bookwormgirl69 might not have been aware of this story because the idea hadn't been posted in forums along with my profile page. I do apologize for forgetting about this since this could come across as me plagiarizing a few aspects from bookwormgirl69, though I assure you this isn't the case.**


	2. Chapter Two: Blancblack Castle

Saturday, the first of two days in the weekend when school was out giving children and the older kids time to hang out and have fun. Some adults also enjoyed it too since they were off from work even if several of them chose to open their shops anyway to interact with customers. Several eateries were also open for the same purpose, offering all kinds of meals ranging from dishes made for breakfast to dinner. At this time of day, they were offering only breakfasts as brunches because it was still early in the morning. While some patrons went about their business in the market district and residential district as well, others went around town to various outdoor vendors plying several kinds of wares from other regions of the Gray Garden that could not be found in stores. As for the people who worked in the castle, their leisure time functioned just like everyone else's as they also had the weekend off. Of course, some of them who enjoyed their work continued it because it was fun to them which was a similar reason to the motive shopkeepers had when opening today. It was such a pretty day that it would be a shame to waste it as the weather forecast stated there would be a mix between rain and fog for the following day, hence why the people savored this lovely weather while it lasted. Sunday they would be indoors doing activities inside until Monday when it cleared.

Opening the front door of her house, the young angelic girl stepped out to inhale fresh air. Dressed in her usual attire, she smiled cheerfully and adjusted her purse slung around her shoulder. Opening her eyes while shading them from the sun hanging above their world in the sky, Macarona gazed upon the clouds passing by slowly as if they were snails taking their time trudging along on their way. Hearing footsteps from behind her, the angel turned around to look inside to notice that her guest was also ready and decked in the same kind of dress the demon wore too. Smiling at her, Macarona shut the door behind them after Lil exited and strode past her, outstretching her arms as she opened her mouth in a smile while absorbing the sun's warmth. "Looks like you're enjoying the daylight, Lil," the angelic girl commented. "This must be the first time you've seen our world's sun. I suppose you must not have been too fond of the cloudy sky yesterday wanted a clearer sky."

"Hell yeah, it's awesome!" Lil exclaimed happily as Macarona started walking next to her on their way over to the edge of the residential district. "It's a shame you can't see such beauty in my underworld and Refi's because of the lack of daylight and bad weather respectively. The only place I ever saw any actual sun was in the Flower World whenever our gatherings took place there. I truly enjoy the quaint little feel of Rosa's world," she remarked to make conversation while also referring to the Flower Devil by a shortening of her first name as a nickname of sorts. Other people in the vicinity took notice of her as she and Macarona chatted, some of whom returned to activities they were in the middle of whereas others commented amongst each other about who Lil was. This background chatter didn't reach their ears, however, even though Macarona felt they were already wondering about the demonic lady partly because she asked around town for the angel and the fact this was the first time some of them saw her after hearing about Lil's presence. Despite not aware of her identity, she was a new face to them and they couldn't help but wonder where she was from because there was just this vibe to her that presented Lil as someone not from around here. "You've seen the twin suns over in the Flower World with the twin moons, right Macarona? Were you told they each represented the four seasons in her world?" Lil asked next to continue their small talk.

"As a matter of fact, it was one of the first things Rosaliya introduced us to when we visited her world," Macarona responded. "I thought it was interesting how the suns symbolize Spring and Summer while the moons stand for Autumn and Winter, and how they switch positions in orbit to affect the Flower World's climate based on which season it was with Spring balancing Autumn as Summer balanced Winter to ensure the climate wasn't a contribution to any natural disasters."

"The four seasons certainly do play a big role in Rosa's world," Lil remarked, noticing the warp slate they were heading to and bounding over to it so she could examine what it was. "Oooh, this is so pretty! Hey, Macarona, what's this diamond-like crystal? Is it an artefact of your world?"

"No, that would be a warp slate," the young angel replied to answer the questions and also explain what they were to Lil. "They're common in the Gray Garden. The way they work is being activated by somebody who sets the coordinates in for where they want to go. Warp slates around this world have been configured to perform long distance travel to portals leading into the Flower World, the Weather Season World, and the Corporate Heaven for the purpose of commercial trade. However, this decreases their range to other regions in this world for national travel. At best the shortest range is the set of other warp slates located in this region; this part still functions properly, though we'd require the trains to travel into towns located throughout the world in other regions." While she explained all of this, Macarona set the coordinates for Blancblack castle and went within a space which she also pulled the demon into. "When you've got the coordinates lined up, just step in here before activating the warp slate." Saying this, she then did just that to teleport them both.

"Wow, that's fast!" the lady exclaimed excitedly because she felt the experience was quite thrilling in a way. "I've never seen these kinds of objects in other worlds. These warp slates seem to be quite handy for getting around. I wish some of them could be imported to other worlds too."

"They're actually a creation of Miss Etihw's; she constructed them with her magic. I think it might work the same way with other deities too," Macarona said as she turned to gaze upon their destination now that they reached it. Watching as Lil approached the courtyard's center to marvel upon the beautiful marble-like baroque architecture, the angel stepped closer to provide an official welcome to Blancblack Castle. "Welcome to Blancblack Castle, Lil. This is where several centers in this region are located among various departments the castle funds and administers for people."

"Oh, this is such a pretty castle, and so magnificent too!" Lil complimented the building as she and Macarona approached the steps leading up towards the main entrance. Crossing through a set of double doors after opening them, the demon's grin widened in amazement at how large this place must've been. The two of them were only in the foyer among other angels and demons with Nephilim as well, yet the size of this part they stood in was pretty big. "Wow, this is so amazing!" the demon again spoke up cheerfully, walking forward to gaze upon the artwork and tapestries on the walls. Going around this particular area, she also looked at the artefacts in each display case.

"There's more where this came from," her angelic companion uttered while sauntering next to her to direct Lil over to a map of the building's several floors with each department listed which showed people where said departments were located. "Here, you can see the several centers which are located here. There are all kinds like the historical wing on the fifth floor which has a museum and two departments for anthropology and archaeology. Other wings like the medical center could be found here too, as well as a cafeteria with a kitchen along with a library. There's even a college center for higher education since the castle also serves as this region's university as well," she said.

"Can we go to all of them?!" Lil asked excitedly, wishing to see everything in here.

"In due time," Macarona smiled, shutting her eyes. She thought it was nice seeing her good friend so excited and interested in aspects of her world. Lil's reaction to it all and her desire to see more was like that of a kid amazed and in fantastic awe of her surroundings. Macarona was rather fond of that trait the demon was showing off, though she still had to ensure Lil was well collected since the demon might've run off in search of other things that caught her fancy. "First we should be getting upstairs to see Miss Etihw and Mr. Kcalb. If I recall correctly, she said Mr. Wodahs was also going to be attending the meeting as well. We'll go up to the top and see them first, then we'll go around the castle for a look at everything since the departments are fine with visitors around."

"Sure, I'll be looking forward to it. Which way is the nearest elevator, Macarona?"

"It's over here," the angel replied and led her over to an elevator by the daycare center that little children went to. "It's just by the castle's daycare center. Mr. Kcalb's two pet cats, Ater and Arbus, are employees there. They're in the Flower World with Miss Grora, one of the angels who works in the garden and is also a guard who helps protect the inhabitants from any and all threats."

"Are they the girls' whose parents came from the Flower World?" Lil inquired curiously.

"Yep, that's them, it's why they and Miss Grora are going to be absent for some time until they return at a later date. I don't know when that'll be exactly, but I can introduce you to the three of them whenever they return if you still happen to be here," Macarona offered the idea to Lil.

"Certainly," the demon responded eagerly, pressing the call button for the elevator. "We've got to go to the top floor, correct?" she then asked for confirmation. Lil may have memorized that from looking at the map, though this was still her first time here and she thought the map probably wasn't updated if there were any renovations that altered the spaces of those areas she saw on it.

"That's the one," her angelic companion answered her as they stepped in when it came for them. Some employees were already inside and they stepped out before Macarona and Lil went in too. The angel pushed a button for the top floor and let the elevator ascend. On their way up, more passengers got on and disembarked on other floors along the way, making small talk with the pair for brief introductions since they hadn't met Lil before despite hearing about her. While they were aware of who she was and where she came from, this was their first time meeting her. Upon getting to the top floor, the duo disembarked and found themselves in another kind of lobby with furniture inside. Couches and chairs were set up by a couple tables, acting as some kind of lounge for people to sit at where they found some more employees conversing about a variety of different topics. "It is just inside here," Macarona uttered, leading Lil up the stairs towards double doors. Opening one and entering with the demon in tow, she announced their presence. "We have just arrived now."

"Ah, good, you're here," Wodahs remarked upon seeing them after taking a seat at the table in between Etihw and his brother. "You've brought Lil with you as well, I see, as you've discussed with Lady Etihw. Come, take your seats so she may explain her presence in our world with details."

"You're this world's Head Angel, right?" Lil asked, strolling forward while looking around the office as she and Macarona headed towards the table. "Wodahs, is it? Where's a Head Demon?"

"We do not have a Head Demon, just my brother," Kcalb responded to her inquiry as both girls took a couple seats next to one another right across from him and the two divine figures next to him. "And yes, you're correct, he is Wodahs. Though you may have heard of us from Macarona, and probably from your husband as well, allow us to introduce ourselves next. That is Etihw," his arm reached up as he pointed a finger at the Goddess to introduce her first, "whom you may know as the White Goddess of this world. Consequently by contrast, I am Kcalb, the Black Devil. Now, you may know of us as I've said and we know of you; that being said, however, this is actually the first time we've seen you. I do know your husband and heard of his marriage to you, however."

"My dipshit husband," Lil corrected him by putting forward that insult to Satanick first just before she commented on Kcalb and Etihw. "Yeah, I've heard of you through him and Her Majesty too. Your decision to make peace with your Goddess created a small stir among the hells; not that big of an issue, really, for none of them are bothered by it since it doesn't affect them except for a loss of some trade between the underworlds with a snail's pace on the rest. I know your world does trade with the Flower World and Refi's Shadowed Sanctuary, and some items do make it to some other underworlds." She leaned back in her chair and stretched her arms behind her head, making herself comfortable while taking one of the teacups available to pour some tea for herself and also Macarona. Taking a sip, her eyes jolted open in pleasant surprise and she smiled. "Mm, good tea."

"Thank you," the Head Angel murmured aloud to show he appreciated the compliment on how the tea he made tasted prior to getting right down to business. "Now, why are you here, Lil?"

"To get the hell outta my hell because my dipshit husband refuses to let me have power in the Devil's Kingdom," the demonic lady responded as-a-matter-of-factly, getting right to the main point. "You must know it's a patriarchal civilization, right? One founded upon the idea of the men having all the power in every aspect of society? I mean, it's so unfair that women don't get power."

"In some places, yes, that logic does make sense and it's a shame such inequality is a norm in societies like that," Etihw agreed, sipping her own tea. "But more to the point, why are you even in the Gray Garden in the first place? Surely you could rely on other associates for support, right? I do remember Macarona mentioning others she met in Reficul's underworld. Now, keep this issue in mind: I do not mind letting foreign visitors to our world come see the Gray Garden. What really worries me is how your husband will take this affair. He shall notice your absence and likely force you to return; should you refuse, he might declare war on our world just to get you back in his."

"True, that's an option he might consider," Lil consented and put forth further elaboration. "Unfortunately, my other friends in other worlds barring Killie couldn't make time for me because of affairs keeping them busy. They're the ones I associate with most; I've only met Macarona once at the last gathering before yesterday evening, and I only associate with Killie through these small meetings of ours. I don't have Macarona's number or address, so I couldn't contact her before." A sheepish grin spread across her face as she chuckled while also scratching the back of her neck.

"I take it this other individual, Killie, is from your underworld and is also preoccupied with her own affairs as well," the Devil stated rhetorically before moving on. "I understand the difficulty in contacting Macarona, having only become acquainted just once before. It's your first time here, after all, so you wouldn't really know your way around all that well. Most visitors are like that."

"That's where I come in," Macarona spoke up to involve herself in the discussion too since she was vouching for Lil. "I'm letting her stay at my place while she's here, and she's welcome to stay for as long as she needs until these affairs are wrapped up. I can also show her around too."

"Yes, I'm sure you can handle that, Macarona," Etihw responded to her contribution to this matter prior to addressing another concern by addressing Lil again. "You've said war is one option. Is there anything else he might do to reclaim you?" she asked, getting to the bottom of that issue.

"Eh, he might try diplomacy, have you extradite me in exchange for something. If that does not work, he might switch gears to war if he really wants me," the demon explained, shrugging as Satanick could've done a variety of things regarding this situation. "Hell, knowing him, he'd pretty much see me as being expendable and try to have me assassinated; though I am his damn wife."

Macarona's eyes bulged out in surprise, afraid to hear the Gentleman Devil would think a horrible idea like that was also an option. Satanick may have been a tyrant, but to go so far to kill his own wife if he considered her useless was terribly cruel in the angel's eyes. "H-he can k-kill you?!" she exclaimed in shock, expressing her fearful worries that Lil could've been killed by him.

"It's within his right to, he is the Devil of the Devil's Kingdom, after all," Lil clarified for her to try and put Macarona's mind at ease concerning that. "I appreciate your concern, Macarona, but I can assure you I won't fall so easily to whatever assassins he may send out if he chooses to."

"I'm certain you must be pretty powerful, being the wife of a strong Devil," Wodahs stated since he could believe Lil was capable of handling herself when it came to any assassins Satanick might have instructed to kill her. "Of course, we'd appreciate it if you'd leave the residents of this world out of that affair to keep them safe by handling that yourself. We can aid you diplomatically if need be, though we'd prefer to avoid the risk of incurring another conflict with foreign worlds."

"W-whoa, hold on, time out!" the angelic girl leapt to her feet, worried they really would've considered extraditing Lil from their world to avoid a war with the Devil's Kingdom. "Would that mean you're really thinking about sending her away just to avoid war?! I-I understand that, though we should also consider Lil's feelings and take them into account too! She has a say in this matter!"

"If she still doesn't wish to return to her own underworld, we can check if the other worlds she has other friends in can welcome her," Kcalb proposed an idea that might've been satisfactory to them both. "We can speak with Satanick and ask him to postpone any negotiations for her until she's safely in another world where she won't have to face off against assassins. The Queen could get involved in this so her perspective can be contributed; thus she can put forth her judgment on the affair to decide if this marital dispute between Lil and Satanick can be solved accordingly in regards to how she'll handle the case. Any thoughts on the plan? Is there agreement or objections?"

Lil put a bent finger to her chin as she considered the proposition the Devil laid out for her. She was still smiling which suggested she actually did like the sound of that. Eventually she made a choice regarding the idea by accepting it as the best this world could've done to aid her. "You've made quite a reasonable option to consider, and I like it. That should hopefully help settle this."

"We hope it should," Etihw remarked, liking the idea as there were no problems with it.

…

The more she thought about it, the more she couldn't help but feel worried for Lil because the demonic lady was her friend. They left the meeting with Kcalb, Wodahs, and Etihw satisfied a good deal even if the content brought up in that discussion was questionable to them. A matter the Goddess brought up was in regards to what kind of food Lil ate when the vampire demon brought up what kind of demon she was. That raised a red flag in Etihw's mind because she was worried a lot of residents could've become her meals since vampires had to drink blood. Thankfully this was appeased by Macarona when the young angel personally vouched that Lil didn't drink blood. She'd known that since meeting her last year, and the lady clarified that bit after dinner while they cleaned up last night. However, this wasn't the issue that scared her as her mind was on something else for that matter, another issue brought up by her friend at the meeting which gravely worried her.

Lil had said her husband could've authorized assassination attempts against her because of her being expendable in his eyes. That sudden remark came out of nowhere, out of the blue in left field in fact. The way she said it made it seem like there were other affairs her demonic friend was aware of, matters pertaining to a much deeper intrigue of politics and business in the hell she came from. She was Satanick's wife and Satanick was the Gentleman Devil, so it was a natural guess to determine if this was simply much more than just a marital dispute between them. That being said, the fact she left after requesting for more power really did suggest it clearly had to do with politics.

Nonetheless, Macarona believed it wasn't her place to question it. She might've had some knowledge of politics, but she wasn't an expert or even a master professional in the subject. There was no real reason for her to get involved because it was a debate between Lil and Satanick due to their respective positions in their society. Although Macarona would let Lil stay with her, she was beginning to feel like restrictions were being placed on her to limit how effective her aid could be. While she understood that her friend would have to handle this on her own, the angel couldn't help but feel like she wasn't really helping all that much. All she did was give Lil a place to stay; there had to be other methods she could utilize, something else she could've done to stay involved even though Etihw, Wodahs, and Kcalb wanted her to be safe by not getting too involved. Of course, it was also important to consider everyone else in the Gray Garden too as well as the world itself. If a conflict did erupt because of these sensitive matters pertaining to Lil, it could have been difficult to avoid them. Yet Macarona felt hurt knowing she wouldn't be of much aid to a friend of hers as the situation was starting to look dire. Despite agreeing with the Goddess and Devil, as well as the Head Angel too, the young angel felt torn between providing plenty of support and just a minimum.

Macarona cherished her friends, and Lil was one of them. She couldn't abandon her when they've become such good friends in light of having only met once prior to this second encounter.

"Macarona? Macarona?" she could hear the demon speak up, sounding concerned for her. "You okay? You're not too bothered about how that little meeting went, right?" Lil hoped she was not, but knew this was a sensitive matter for Macarona because of how helpless the angel felt. The notion was there, evident in the girl's facial expression and body language indicating she was quite upset about how things turned out. The demon worried she might've said something wrong and in an attempt to try and soothe Macarona's nerves, she sought to offer some comfort to the angel.

"Wha…?" Macarona murmured in response, snapping back to attention upon hearing Lil's inquiry. Realizing she put a lot of thought into the situation and how it made her feel, she suddenly became aware of how her response to the meeting was affecting Lil and quickly spoke up to offer the demonic woman comfort just as she was receiving some when Lil put a hand on her shoulder. "To tell the truth, I am even though I'm positive things will work out," came an unsure reply from her to the demon's question as the two of them sat in the castle's museum in front of a display case showing some armor sets from the war. "I mean, it was so unexpected, hearing your husband might send assassins after you. I couldn't help but feel worried about you, Lil." Thankfully she told the truth about how she felt so she wouldn't hurt Lil's feelings by showing how concerned she was.

"It's okay, Macarona, I appreciate the concern like I said before," Lil reassured her, giving the angelic girl a smile with a thumbs up to show she was grateful for it. "However, I'm powerful for a demon. Why, even some of the strongest demons in the Devil's Kingdom include me among the list they're on in terms of how strong they are. Trust and believe me when I say there's no way any assassins my dipshit husband sends after me will emerge victorious. I've known him for a long time, and I also know how the assassins under his command operate both individually and together in a group. I've studied the functions of his responsibilities, closely scrutinizing them while getting a good idea of how affairs work in my underworld. I know each of his associates and minions like the back of my hand, and that includes their schedules too. How do you think I've managed to get out of the Devil's Kingdom to attend the last gathering undetected by everyone in my underworld? Of course, Her Highness claimed she needed me as an attendant for the trip which was why I was able to get off scot free that time, but still it's been important to me knowing all their schedules."

"So you memorized the schedules and managed to sneak away when nobody was looking?" her angelic companion put forth a rhetorical inquiry. "In other words, no one was the wiser as they couldn't locate you because they were unaware of your absence? That's definitely possible at times on some occasions, but what about when you do get caught sometimes? Do they prevent you from leaving ever again, or must they provide an escort of sorts to ensure you don't escape them again?"

"Oh, I've never been caught, ever. I didn't even need to sneak out last time because of how the Queen informed Satanick she wanted to use me as an attendant for the journey to Refi's hell. I could say my dipshit husband would definitely keep me under wraps if he found out, but he hasn't."

"Unfortunately, he'll find out eventually if you're gone for too long," Macarona remarked to raise a valid point that also needed to be considered because Lil's absence would've raised quite some red flags in Satanick's mind depending on how long his wife was away and where she was.

"True, though we've already been over that at the meeting," Lil responded, aware the angel wasn't trying to kick her out because of their friendship. She did acknowledge the legitimacy that was highly evident in that issue, though felt reassured by how it would've been taken care of. With a mild shrug, the demonic lady simply dropped the matter and stood up since she wanted to go see something else now that they had finished exploring the entire museum and both departments that were on this floor. "Come on, Macarona, there's still plenty I'd like to see here. We can skip over the medical center since that's pretty much like a standard hospital, so take me to the library next. Then we can take a look at the castle's college center." Lil shut her eyes and smiled. "Hopefully it can take our minds off these issues so we can enjoy things here without having to worry too much about them. What do you say, Macarona?" Her offer was soothing and it certainly did help the girl next to her feel better since Macarona smiled back, thankful for having such a great friend like Lil.

"Alright, the library's this way," the angelic hostess replied, standing up to lead her friend over to the elevator again. Entering it after Macarona pushed the call button to open the door, they stepped in and rode it a couple floors down towards the library. Exiting it, they stepped out to cross the hallway and enter through another door. Watching as Lil's eyes widened in amazement because the sight of so many books in different sections at once seemed to leave her in awe, the young girl giggled slightly since she felt the demon must've been quite an avid reader. "I guess you'll love to come here every so often while you're staying here, huh?" she chuckled, walking next to the lady.

"I will, reading's pretty much one of the only things I do back home!" Lil marveled at each of the novels and other kinds of manuscripts available, not keeping her voice down because of how amazed she was. A quick glance at a Nephilim who caught her eye garnered a sheepish smile from her since the demon observed him holding a finger to his lips to indicate this was a place of quiet chatter. "Sorry, forgot I wasn't using an indoor voice," she apologized and looked at Macarona again while they continued to talk together as the young angel led her throughout the library. "But yes, I've read a lot of books in my spare time, Macarona. Plenty a time I'd find myself rereading over many volumes I already covered several times before for other fresh perspectives of them."

"Wow, you must be quite a learned individual in literary studies," the angel complimented her, impressed by how well-read her demonic companion appeared to be from that one comment.

"I certainly am; hell, my dipshit husband sometimes patronizes scholars who may be useful to him and sends the literary ones to me so I can hold appointments with them. It's not much for a means of my contributions to academia in the Devil's Kingdom, but at least it's something. In fact, some of them were my tutors when I was first developing into the role of being his wife; I still do know some of them well, though they're all unfortunately on my dipshit husband's payroll, so they won't bother coming to my aid because he's the one paying them for whatever services they offer."

"Well, it helped you have a better understanding of education and the government."

"Damn straight!" Lil exclaimed to confirm the idea, though still used an indoor voice rather than shout it out loud like she had done with one of her previous comments. "I'm so versed in how such affairs operate that I can contribute my own ideas to help improve civilization. Unfortunately, the men aren't too keen on accepting advice from a woman—everyone except Yatsuzaki since he does share power with Killie and their son. He's quite a role model the others should follow, though they don't because they consider him to be too open with his wife which is unique. Still, nobody's got a problem with him because he does his job just fine; that's why everyone leaves him alone."

"What does Count Yatsuzaki do?" Macarona asked out of curiosity.

"He's the owner of an enterprise consisting of vineyards and farms, and he also owns some of the large, corporate banks along with a few retail stores. Unlike the rest of the aristocracy, he is a lot nicer to his employees and gets involved in their lives and the businesses he runs with the aid of some associates on each of the corporate boards he heads. His wife and son help him with each of these endeavors, acting as a secretary and vice president respectively in some cases whereas the other cases are where they provide different kinds of benefits for employees. Killie's a CEO of the Devil's Kingdom's large fashion industry for all classes, setting reasonable prices on some of what should be more expensive outfits so that a lot of people besides the upper classes can purchase the duds an aristocrat wears. To some extent, anyway, due to specific boundaries and restrictions that set wealth and gender as the sole two determining factors regarding everyone's place in society."

"Those aren't the only significant factors, right?" Macarona asked for further details about that last remark. "I mean, there are other worlds that include other limiting factors which establish people in certain roles and positions. Are there no other elements like ethnic backgrounds, Lil?"

"Nope, just wealth and gender; race isn't an issue in the Devil's Kingdom because even an individual from a minority—in the sense that that aren't that many demons of a specific species or population living there—can become quite a successful entrepreneur," the demonic lady explained. "My dipshit husband recognizes that, and he knows ethnicities in minorities are quite valuable due to this reason which is why he doesn't set restrictions on them. The same goes for foreigners who have immigrated to our underworld, though it's unfortunate that women and the poor don't get too much of a say. The ones that are still allowed to are the men, regardless of how poor they are."

"So the demographics are centered largely on the male population in society when they are compared to how much of a foothold women hold in the Devil's Kingdom," the young angel stated rhetorically, comprehending the account as Lil was explaining it. "Although ethnic minorities may be a relatively smaller part of the population as opposed to those who were native to the underworld in the past, they can still join the majority of the other demographic based more on gender instead."

"Yep, that's the gist of it," Lil confirmed the idea since that was how the concept functioned in the Devil's Kingdom. "Gender is the factor keeping women from attaining higher prestige while the men get to have all the glory—with the exception of Yatsuzaki and Killie as I said. It is a most unfortunate skew for the female demographic because of such restrictions placed upon and against women. It is worse for them when the other demographic pertaining to wealth is taken into account because some of the poor and lower classes do include women as well. Although ladies in several of the upper classes are better off than the rest, they still don't have much of a voice and power in our civilization even though we do make contributions to it just as well as the male demographic."

"But which of the two would you say is the worst: wealth, or gender?" Macarona inquired.

"Depends on the perspective you're analyzing the problem from. If gender, women will be portrayed as those who have next to no benefits unless wealth affords them the chance to secure a much better position in society. On the flipside, wealth is horrible because it establishes tiers within civilization that set the standards and boundaries between lower, middle, and upper classes. There is a silver lining in both that serves as an improvement, if not to a full extent: of the two, wealth is not as restrictive as gender because it actually allows even minorities and the poor to join the ranks of higher classes for better lives so long as the individuals can fulfill certain objectives. By making themselves known to somebody via excellent effort and commitment, even the poorest of workers could strive to secure better benefits. It pays to work hard, and that is why wealth is not as harsh a factor as gender is because even women could join their spouses and also reap the rewards too."

"But then by that token gender wouldn't be so bad either because women acquire wealth," the young angel commented to put forth a hypothesis, testing if wealth made gender less strict for people in the Devil's Kingdom. "They might not be able to wield it if their husbands are in power, but they could inherit it if they have no sons serving as heirs or if the sons don't want the wealth."

"That is one thing which isn't too severe towards women, yes," Lil consented to the point. However, she also put up a counterpoint to it too. "Yet that doesn't exist in my underworld. Once a man with good wealth and no male heirs die, the cash is instantly seized by my dipshit husband. He simply adds it to his own treasury for whatever purposes he has in mind and tosses the widows and any daughters they may have back into the poorer classes of civilization where they suffer the pain of being poor—again if they already made the climb to any of the upper classes in society."

"So while women can enjoy having wealth, they cannot use it because only the men could instead of them," Macarona concluded from this discussion as they strolled through the library. "It sounds pretty harsh because they don't seem to be able to really do anything in your underworld."

"Precisely, Macarona, they have absolutely no freedom. Even though women may be able to flaunt wealth by showing it off, they are not allowed to actually control it. If anything, they just become trophies, status symbols men can use to brandish their own wealth. Therefore, women are not really wealthy at all as they're merely objects of men's affections for wealth alone. They have lives, but their lives are dulled by restrictions set against them in a patriarchal society where men rule over their female counterparts. I'm no different from them with the exception being chances to sneak away whereas other wealthy women don't since they merely stay by wealth their husbands earned and bask in it without having done anything to contribute towards it. They can't control it, they can't spend it; all they do is enjoy it while they have enough to satisfy them. It keeps the wealthy women in check so their husbands wouldn't have to worry about controlling them because their primary concern is making wealth and keeping it too. If they lose all of it, they don't blame themselves for the loss since they pin it on women instead simply because they're allowed to."

"Even if they're responsible for losing all their money in the first place due to their issues?"

Lil nodded, stretching her arms behind her head. "Yep, they just deny they were responsible and claim it was the fault of their wives for not doing anything to help control the wealth. However, what they don't even bother or care to realize or admit is the fact laws are in place to keep women from controlling the wealth. It's become quite a horrible norm in the Devil's Kingdom, Macarona."

"Sounds like the Devil's Kingdom is a horrible place to live for both women and the poor," the angelic girl commented after listening to her friend's lecture on the civilization's elements.

"It sure is, Macarona, and it's the worst in its category. Some other underworlds follow the same concepts, though not to the same extent. The Devil's Kingdom wasn't always that bad since previous Devils ruling over it for the head monarchy didn't integrate such ruthless procedures and legislation into society like my dipshit husband. He was the one who derailed it from better days."

"And nobody can stop him?" Macarona asked, feeling sorry for the people of Lil's hell.

"Nope, and nobody, not even GriRea herself, will alter it," the demonic lady responded.

"But why? Her Majesty's the Queen, so she should have more political power than Devils."

"Aye, she does. It is a double edged sword letting them govern their own underworlds how they please. GriRea can certainly sack them from their jobs to replace them with candidates she'll probably feel are better and more loyal than the ones currently in place. She doesn't, however, for whatever reason I don't know. Even so, it's kind of a blessing having a monarch who'll allow them to be in charge of how hells are run so long as they're loyal and function properly in civilization." Lil sighed as they left the library, the gesture indicating she wanted to drop the subject for the time being because it was quite a depressing topic about politics and the state of society in underworlds. "Oh well, it is what it is and hardly much can be done to make changes in a society already far too corrupt to even be saved. If it hasn't already crumbled under weight of issues it caused itself, there must be at least something holding it all together to prevent a chaotic collapse from happening real soon. I can only hope it'll at least be the same as when I left it, otherwise it might be different from what I know; whether that'll be a good or bad thing is yet to be determined because it didn't occur yet. Of course, it probably won't ever occur or it may depending on what happens in the future."

"And if it does collapse, what will you do then, Lil?" Macarona asked out of concern.

Lil shrugged. "Eh, I probably might go back to help the restoration effort if I'm wanted. If not, I'll find someplace else to go. Maybe the Gray Garden will become my new permanent abode then." She turned to flash a smile at the young angel since that was an idea she liked. "That means we can hang out all the time, Macarona! Might not be much in the grand scheme of things, but the thought is at least something positive in a gloomy picture of a miserable underworld in despair."

Macarona nodded with a smile directed at her demonic friend. "Yeah, it is definitely a good thing," she agreed despite also knowing that their friendship alone likely couldn't be enough help to the Devil's Kingdom getting any better. It saddened her because of what society was like over there for all the inhabitants with the poor excluded unless they proved themselves as well as women being excluded too if they didn't happen to be wealthy—and even if they did possess a good bit of wealth to show off and enjoy, they had no power whatsoever. It was a real issue in a patriarchal civilization run by the aristocracy. Although Macarona felt relieved it wasn't like that in the Gray Garden, she couldn't help but feel worried for the population of the Devil's Kingdom governed by Satanick after listening to Lil's brief lecture on affairs over there. In spite of dropping the topic for now so neither of them would be depressed by it, Macarona hoped things would soon get better in that hell for the sake of the demons there, including Lil as well since she and the angel were good friends. That was wishful thinking, but she wished it could come true someday when women along with the poor could have a chance to better their lifestyles so they could be equals to men and also possess enough wealth so their lives could be improved. This was a bright, yet uncertain future.

…

 **And so that concludes the second chapter of this story. As I've alluded to before in** _A Weekend at Reficul's_ **, the Devil's Kingdom is an authoritarian patriarchal form of governance with a totalitarian government run by the men in society. The reason why I've set Satanick's underworld up like this is because I want to make the underworlds each unique in their own way based on what the Devils reigning over them are like. In Satanick's case, it is more like a patriarchal society with some limits on who can attain power in civilization under him, yet the system is corrupt because of what he's put into legislation for governing it. The poor can hardly benefit unless via certain circumstances in which they could advance their lifestyles, but stricter restrictions are set against women in the Devil's Kingdom. This plays a big part in the story regarding Lil's opposition towards Satanick and how he's governing the Devil's Kingdom; however, I'll leave the matter of any reform for this underworld unsaid for now and let the story take care of it as this progresses. You'll find out later how this is addressed.**

 **However, I will say that it is certainly much different from how the other underworlds are governed and what they're like. From what we can infer from Ivlis' hell, it appears to fit a standard perspective of what a hell may be like. By contrast—from a non-canon standpoint my fanfics take—Reficul's underworld would be better than Ivlis' in some ways. For instance when we compare these two hells together in my non-canon perspective, Ivlis' underworld is chaotic and disunited whereas Reficul's is more in order and united. This contrast helps with the identification of what these underworlds are like, and no two underworlds could be quite the same as another even if they may share some similarities with one another. The same can also be said for the heavens too in this regard, just as they might be the opposite of the hells. The Devil's Kingdom is no different from the other underworlds when considering this since like the rest of them, it too has traits that make it unique from others as I've discussed above.**

 **Hopefully this helps clarify my thought process by elaborating on how it will be used. I'm aware that it could come across as being sexist in the case of the Devil's Kingdom; though this isn't the case because I'm merely trying to flesh it out as a society. However, I apologize sincerely if it does come across as such even though it wasn't intended to be or sound like it. I also apologize if the material about the lower classes and the poor came across as offensive as well; again, I was only trying to provide context when fleshing out the Devil's Kingdom. I apologize again if the content was even seen as being racist when it was not my intention with the same reasoning stated twice now being why I've established the Devil's Kingdom as such.**

 **Also, I've given Reficul's underworld a non-canon name in this chapter.**


	3. Chapter Three: Among Macarona's Friends

By the time they left Blancblack Castle after Macarona gave Lil a tour of the various centers except for the medical department, it was already close to noon as the two of them exited the castle and headed over to the warp slate. It had been moved over to the fountain because groundskeepers were tending to the soil and the stonework that made up the courtyard. Various diamonds of black and white were floating around as decorations, whereas at night they served as bright streetlamps. Upon taking notice of the pair, the few groundskeepers each gave a friendly wave which Macarona and Lil returned amiably on their way towards the warp slate when it was being activated. Someone was coming through from another warp slate, perhaps the one in town or one of the others located throughout the region. Appearing in front of them was an angel familiar to Macarona, but not Lil.

"Well, well, what a pleasant surprise I find greeting me on my return from checking on one of the patrol units," he commented in a friendly tone, stepping forward to ruffle the younger angel's hair. Her cap nearly fell off as he was doing this, though Macarona managed to catch it before that happened with a small smile directed at the older angelic man with a strand of wheat jutting out of his mouth since he held it within his teeth. "Small world, isn't it, Macarona?" Siegfried asked in a rhetorical tone of voice afterwards. "Been a while since I saw you and Yosafire at Country Tune."

The young angel curtsied before him as a sign of respect and also as a proper greeting since he was one of the authorities and a fellow guitarist like her and the demonic girl whose name was mentioned. His comment on Yosafire got Lil inwardly excited as the demonic lady could recollect that Macarona also commented on her when they were at Rane's house last time they got together. She was definitely looking forward to meeting the reincarnated descendent of Yosaflame because he was one of the heroic individuals she idolized, though allowed her friend to speak with the other angel first instead of simply running off with Macarona in search of Yosafire. The demon was very patient even if she was excited, yet listened to the dialogue for further details on the other demon; plus she also wanted to be introduced to this guy too. "It certainly has, Mr. Siegfried," the angelic girl responded, her peripheral vision catching sight of her friend's obvious enthusiasm in her facial expression. "How are you doing today, sir? I assume everything's going rather well with work."

"Yep, just the same stuff investigators and guards like myself do," Siegfried replied to her inquiry, adjusting the black fedora atop his head when a breeze blowing by threatened to blow off the hat. "I was actually just getting back to file a report for a quest log that may be added onto the bulletin board near the café. One of the squads on patrol picked up the scent of several Nandi Bears over in the old, abandoned Zeiss Orrery on the edge of the Haunted Woods. There may be a Wight heading the pack since old dog collars were found too. Those things gave off a scent of both kinds of creatures, so they asked me to place up a form for hunters of adventurers with interest in this sort of affair. Nothing too serious as that's far from town, though it should be handled appropriately before these monsters begin to encroach further than they should, otherwise action must be taken immediately to ensure this petty threat is eliminated before it can become a very bad problem."

"Oh, how exhilarating!" Lil remarked since the idea of combating those foul things seemed appealing to her. Though she wasn't allowed out of the Devil's Kingdom, the demonic lady could have gone on numerous hunts in her life if she and their other foreign friends did similar things in their worlds. It wasn't something Macarona expected of them, but then again it was still a concept she couldn't really deny because it may have been true. "Can we go take care of them, Macarona?!"

"Whoa, settle down, Lil, the quest log hasn't been filed yet," Macarona chuckled to soothe the demon's excitement in an attempt to make her shimmer down. "Besides, we're not really armed to take them on. The sporting goods store in town does have some armor and weapons to fight the monsters in this world, so we can do some shopping there a bit later if you'd like after I introduce you to my friends." Her idea was sound and evidently it calmed Lil down to stop her from starting to bounce about in excitement because the demon liked the notion of kicking ass and taking names as she once mentioned after the angel defeated Ushio in a lackluster street fight in Reficul's hell.

"Sweet, I'd so love to see what kind of excitement's in the wilderness!" Lil agreed joyfully.

"Ah, I take it this is the lady who's been looking for you around town," Siegfried remarked as he held a hand out to shake the demon's hand. "The name's Siegfried, I'm an investigator over in the castle's barracks. My job is to analyze evidence in areas where incidents occurred as well as interview any witnesses or individuals relevant to whatever happened and who was involved. Who might you be, if I may be so kind as to inquiry, Miss? Are you a friend of Macarona by chance?"

The demonic lady smiled, accepting the handshake since she was pleased to meet someone else the younger angel knew. "Damn straight, the name's Lil, wife to the Gentleman Devil." This second part of her introduction was stated in a rather bland tone indicating she wasn't fond of who she was married to. Siegfried could tell that much, though he probably didn't know she really hated the man she commonly referred to as her dipshit husband. Then again, he may have guessed it was the case because he was good at making sound deductions and theories with a tiny bit of evidence.

"So you're Satanick's spouse, huh?" he asked rhetorically, wondering how Macarona made herself a friend of somebody related to a Devil like that man. Of course, he heard about how she'd been invited to attend a weekend over in the Shadowed Sanctuary last year and he figured that was when she met this demon in her company. "What is the wife of a tyrannical Devil patriarch doing here?" Siegfried's question came across without malice, though he was still suspicious about Lil's motives for coming to the Gray Garden. Anyone who knew of her relation to Satanick would have too, which was why he made sure to ask to ensure she hadn't come with any malicious intentions.

"Oh, nothing much," the demonic woman replied, waving her hand as a gesture indicating it wasn't that bad of an issue to this world. "I just got in an argument with my husband and departed the Devil's Kingdom in search of a place to stay. My good friend, Macarona, let me stay with her."

Siegfried felt she was telling the truth and he bought it because he couldn't make out some kind of tension in Lil's character. Yet he couldn't shake the feeling there was something more that Lil wasn't saying. He hadn't attended the meeting they had with Kcalb, Wodahs, and Etihw, which was why he made an educated guess based on his intuition regarding her brief statement. However, it would've been rude to pry into the marital affairs of a lady because it was unlike a gentleman as kind as him. Even so, he couldn't help but inwardly wonder what other matters this lady held close to the chest. Nonetheless, he ultimately decided not to pursue it through her, though he'd ask about her when he saw the Devil of this world later over lunch. "A marital dispute, eh?" he inquired with another rhetorical tone and shrugged. "Not my business, so I won't ask for elaboration to clarify it any further than it needs to be. If you'll both excuse me, I should be going now. If you're heading back to town, take this warp slate; otherwise go down the path over there." He pointed to said path.

"Alright, thank you, Mr. Siegfried, it was nice talking to you," Macarona uttered while she and Lil waved goodbye to him as he walked towards the castle's entrance, returning the comment and waving back to them before they used the warp slate to teleport back into Gray Village. Taking a look around the vicinity to see if she could spot her friends so they could be introduced to Lil as well, the young angel frowned and crossed her arms when she couldn't locate them. "Hmm, looks like the other girls aren't around here. I guess we'll just have to look someplace else for them."

"Where do you girls usually hang out?" Lil asked as she also gazed around this part of the village for signs of high school students. She and her angelic friend saw some whom the latter was able to recognize, though she didn't associate with those other kids too often since she was always in the company of her other friends. Beginning to follow Macarona around, she posed another brief part of her inquiry to the girl. "Are there any arcades, parks, or something you usually go visit?"

"There is an arcade in town, though we don't often go there; you can usually find Yosafire and Chelan over there. Rawberry used to go with them, though she's now attends to aiding her big sister from now on since Raspbel's not too well. Everybody could be at Apple Park where we can acquire apples. Dialo usually makes amazing apple pies with the ones we collect from the area."

"Then let's head there," the demon suggested as they strolled through the residential district towards a gate leading into Apple Park. "We could pick as many apples as we want so your friend can bake a lot of pies!" Lil chuckled, daydreaming of how the sweet pastries would taste. She had tasted a variety of pies back in the Devil's Kingdom and the Corporate Heaven on a few occasions when she had no choice but to accompany her husband there. She liked Fumus' heaven, but didn't get to see all the fun attractions there—what few there were which decreased her fondness of it as she knew the Corporate Heaven was mostly a space of pure business and economic growth. It was something one could expect from a corporatocracy that offered public sector marketing to various heavens on the Heavenly Council in addition to other corporate customs and merchandise. Lil had hoped Dialo's apple pies would taste swell like a lot of the other pastries she knew and ate, for she was quite fond of such delicacies as she continued to elaborate on that. "You know, I ate quite the variety of pastries as my dipshit husband's wife. Everything was absolutely delicious and to really die for. Dialo sounds like she's an amazing chef for some kind of bakery. Is there one in town?"

"There is," Macarona responded to her question with additional clarification. "Dialo would like to work there when she grows up. The chefs there are all well acquainted with her because she sometimes donates her apple pies there for a small fee per pie. People throughout Gray Village do love her pies, and word of her culinary skills has spread to other parts of the Gray Garden through tourists from other regions. Why, I heard her name's even come up in the foreign locales we trade with, though on a smaller scale of fame because not many foreigners come to Gray Village as they mostly do business in the towns where the portals to each of their respective homelands are."

"Ooh, I believe I might hear of her mentioned in those other worlds someday," Lil stated a casual comment to continue the dialogue before putting forth a request. "What about the others?"

"You've already heard of Yosafire from me when I told you all about her in the Shadowed Sanctuary," the angel began another explanation for that question. "She's best friends with Froze, an angel like me who happens to be the reincarnated descendent of an angel named Sherbert. She works over in the castle's archaeology and anthropology sectors, but does go on patrols with some of the squads because she's basically a cross between a cleric and a mage. I heard Miss Grora was her foster mother since Froze's parents were somehow killed in an unresolved cold case that hasn't been solved, but she's following in their footsteps as they were both members of the departments she works in. It's quite a tragic tale, really, but Froze is doing alright and she's pretty happy despite not really showing it all that often because she'd more reserved with her emotions and feelings."

"Oh my…" Lil murmured, feeling like she had maybe encroached further than needed due to her desire to know more about the other girls Macarona knew. "My condolences to her. It must be quite a difficult subject for her to deal with, losing one's parents like that with no suspects."

"She'll appreciate that," Macarona smiled to try and alleviate her friend's concerns, though knew the next two individuals she was going to mention also had an unpleasant history. "Rawberry and Raspbel lost their parents too about fourteen years ago, about a few years after Froze lost hers. It's been especially tough on Rawberry when she was young as Raspbel raised her with help from Miss Etihw and Miss Grora along with some other staff members at the castle. It's a very difficult subject to discuss like with Froze even though Froze's okay with it, so nobody brings it up around them." The angel hoped that would end this part of the discussion since she wasn't supposed to go into details about it as per a request Kcalb and Wodahs put out in this world due to the information not being allowed to travel beyond the borders of this world. Luckily it did since Lil could tell it was quite a painful topic and decided to drop this part of the matter entirely without bringing it up again. Macarona was grateful she didn't out of respect for how Rawberry and Raspbel suffered.

"Gee, it seems like a few of your friends have some kind of mournful past attached to them in their lives, and again I must offer my condolences on whatever happened to them in the past."

"Thanks, we can let them know if you want when we find them," the angel proposed.

"Nah, I'd rather not say it aloud directly to them in case it causes trauma of some sort," Lil expressed her sympathies for the girls Macarona talked about while considering their feelings since she didn't want to say anything regardless of however much commiseration she provided to them. "I mean, you can tell them yourself at a time when they might be alright hearing about it, okay?"

"Sure, I will," Macarona consented to her friend's request and decided to bring up Chelan. "You remember back in Tani Pasu when I mentioned Chelan was odontophobic and how she'd be getting her wisdom teeth removed?" Seeing the demon nod in response to her question, Macarona put forth some elaboration on that event. "Well, they were removed and she was alright afterwards, though in the few weeks leading up to the oral surgery Chelan was a fearful wreck because of how terrified she'd been. They're out and now she's all better as well as no longer needing to fear going through that again; unfortunately, the regular appointments for dental work still scare her. I'm sure she'll get over it at some point and I hope she does because she wouldn't be scared anymore; we can't force it, though we can support her as best we could whenever she requires our help in that."

"Ah, that's good to hear," Lil remarked to offer some encouragement too. "Are there other details I need to know before you introduce me so I don't accidently cause any offense? I'd rather not run the risk of saying or doing something to make them mad and hate me for whatever occurs."

"Sure, Chelan is the reincarnated descendent of an angelic priestess named Ciel; Dialo is a reincarnated descendent of a demonic lieutenant named Lost from Mr. Kcalb's army back when a war was going on between him and Miss Etihw in our world's previous incarnation, known as the Colored Rainbow World. The two of them are housemates since they live together, and among all of us, Dialo's the only one who can understand Chelan since her housemate doesn't talk much. It's not a matter of her being mute because she isn't, but more of less about her simply not saying that much of anything all the time even though she usually talks to Dialo whenever she does speak up."

"Okay, is there anything else I should know about your friends?"

Macarona nodded, though had already finished providing further elaboration on those two. Now the only ones left were the Preserves sisters. "Yes, but nothing further on them since you can ask more about them from the girls' themselves if you'd like. Regarding Rawberry and Raspbel, I know Rawberry can be quite mischievous at times as I am her closest friend. Raspbel's the sweeter of the two and she's the older sister. They liked to eat both bugs and meat—well, Raspbel abstained from those kinds of meals because of a traumatic experience she had last year. Nobody really talks about it that much out of respect for her since she still feels guilty about the issues that caused her such distress. Rawberry's by her side a lot ever since to the point where she only goes to school for half of the day each day and then heads over to The Auburn Tulip. It's where Raspbel worked and where Rawberry now works too so she can help her older sister deal with any bad problems."

"Sounds like Raspbel must've done something horrible she regretted doing," Lil remarked, wondering what it was in light of deciding not to pursue that matter out of respect for how Raspbel felt. However, Macarona believed the demonic lady should've known about it so she wouldn't run the risk of accidently offending Raspbel and Rawberry by inadvertently saying or doing something that could've potentially brought up the Doppelganger Murders Raspbel's lookalike, Soa, caused.

"She was just having some difficult handling problems that arose for her," the angel began to explain, purposely avoiding the notion of even mentioning Soa and the doppelganger's fellows who Soa associated herself with. "Raspbel's was spending several days underground with Ghouls while she was recovering from a biking accident she got into. They lulled her into a false sense of security and then attacked her, though she managed to get away. I heard through the news that the monsters were mostly killed even though some may have gotten away. After she was found, there was some trouble while she'd been readjusting to life in Gray Village after her time spent with the Ghouls who nearly killed and cannibalized her. I was present for the heated argument between her and Rawberry when her little sister discovered Raspbel had accidently done something which was nearly suicidal to herself. She knew what she'd been doing was very wrong, though kept it a secret because she didn't want to scare her younger sister. After that, she'd been admitted into The Mind's Eyes, a therapeutic institution for a short while so she could try to get better. That wasn't the only issue she'd been dealing with; coworkers she was friends with at The Auburn Tulip were killed."

"By those Ghouls?" Lil murmured, eyes somewhat wide in surprise while she listened with intense focus to the brief tale Macarona was relaying to her concerning what happened to Raspbel. "Strange, I thought Ghouls were extinct in all the worlds due to their voracious appetite for living flesh. Perhaps that was merely an egregious conception until disproven by the discovery of Ghouls in this world, Macarona. Are the authorities doing anything about this problem, or did it subside?" she inquired, hoping that was no longer an issue for this world or any of the other worlds as well.

"We're still not sure if all of them were slain, but the authorities are keeping a tight lookout for them. So far no incidents have been reported and they've also requested that hunters as well as adventurers join in the hunt for them to prevent further killings and cannibalizations of people. It's possible the Ghouls fled the Gray Garden en route to another location, though they can only leave via the portals to the locations we trade with and the authorities there have also been alerted too."

"But none were reported which could mean they're still here," Lil theorized on that detail.

"Possibly, but I don't think so because there haven't been any attacks by them," Macarona stated to clarify that part of her explanation for the demon. "If there were, they would've been able to slay a few people until they were discovered. Missing persons' cases would've been filed which would lead to investigations; in turn, the Ghouls would have eventually been discovered based on what happened where individuals disappeared due to their attacks. Besides, anybody who survived would've informed the authorities right away which would also initiate investigations. Afterwards, a hunt for the perpetrators would've commenced right away alongside said searches. Any Ghouls, no matter where they might've been hiding, would've been found soon and slain at once to prevent additional assaults from them. That's why I don't think they're in the Gray Garden anymore. That being said, we don't know how many could've left either because we don't know how many to be exact were living in those underground tunnels. I heard over hundreds of remains were found, but that could just be the tip of the iceberg since more may possibly exist elsewhere, maybe deeper in the earth than we've already covered." She breathed deeply to rest her throat after saying all that.

Lil blinked, wondering just how many Ghouls could've still been alive even to this day. In her studies under the tutors back when she was beginning to fit into the role of being a spouse to a Devil, she recalled reading one account of how they were all driven to extinction by a coalition of demonic organizations seeking to hunt them down. This coalition was successful, but after hearing that explanation she no longer felt real sure about whether the text on that topic was really accurate. Maybe those old organizations failed to find all of them and believed Ghouls truly were extinct in all of the worlds, or perhaps they struck a deal with Ghouls to acquire fame from the endeavor they undertook in the first place while protecting their secret survival in exchange for getting the fame. It was mere speculation at best, though Lil wasn't going to pursue the matter because it was already being handled and also due to trauma it caused for Raspbel Preserves. She'd have said something else to change the topic to something pleasant, but realized Macarona had spoken plenty about a variety of other subjects and needed a drink to quench her thirst and her throat. The young angel realized this as well and was thankful Lil wasn't pursuing anything else for the time being now.

Eventually the two of them crossed over a gated threshold into Apple Park where a variety of apple trees offered several different kinds of apples such as honeycrisps, red delicious, pinovas, and many more. Walking through the park and stopping at a vendor selling some apple pies along with apple cider, they both purchased cups of the latter and continued to make their way throughout the park in search of Macarona's friends. Approaching a pretty bridge made of birch wood to cross over a babbling brook that ran through Apple Park, they saw a gazebo other girls sat in together.

"Oh, would they happen to be your friends, Macarona?" Lil inquired as they tossed the two cups now emptied of the apple cider they finished drinking on their walk into a trash bin nearby.

"Yep, that's them, alright," the angel replied, closing her eyes and raising her arm to wave as a way to catch their attention. Opening them, she saw one girl take notice of her and Lil while waving back. This girl, one of the demons in the group of four, was sitting by an angel with another pair consisting of the other angel and demon in their group. Approaching them, Macarona could see Dialo next to Froze while Chelan was beside Yosafire with the pairs at a table across from one another. "Hey, girls," Macarona smiled as she sauntered onto the platform, shutting her eyes and taking a seat on the bench in between the other pairs. Lil joined her, taking the spot beside her and sitting down with the young angel, waiting for Macarona to introduce her. "Miss me while I have been away in the Flower World?" the angelic girl went on as she wanted to make some small talk first to lead into that introduction after asking her question to her other friends present right now.

"Yep, you bet, Macarona!" one of them, a demonic girl in red clothing made up of: a large sweater; boots with three buttons each on them; and a beret over the spot where her right horn was. Even her glasses and eyes were red, and this color was also evident on her wings and tail alongside some green as well which was also the color of her hair. White cuffs were around her wrists along with the top of her boots, and she wore maroon leggings too. The one article of her attire that was contrasting with her being a demon was the gold necklace shaped like a cross. "You've been gone for a week! We really missed you! How was your trip there with Miss Grora and the kitties?!" she inquired excitedly, her eyes boring into Macarona as she was expecting to hear about that event.

The angel with short blond hair next to her wore blue clothing styled with white crosses on it. In addition was a blue hair clip that looked like a flower. Her blueish green eyes also stared too since she anticipated hearing about Macarona's excursion into the Flower World as well. This girl simply hummed happily in excitement, leading Lil to the conclusion that she was the one referred to as Chelan. The demon also assumed Chelan used gestures to help communicate with others too.

"Settle down, Yosafire, Chelan," the other unnamed angel among them said while she used that demon's name in her dialogue. She was dressed in gray and primarily wore an overcoat dress that had also been styled as an inverness coat. In a similar manner as that of Chelan, her clothing's style was centered around dice and dominos with specific emphasis on the part bearing four dots; the lone representation of six dots was featured as the buttons on the top part of her coat-like dress. A lone blue eye on the left side of her face looked to these other two girls across from her and the other demon beside her, the right one blocked out by bangs of blond hair that were frayed outside away from her face. Her hair was also done up in two pigtails behind her head, going down to her mid-thigh. Resting beside her, leaning up against a railing of the gazebo was her domino-dice staff, the same color and domino-dice number as her outfit. Only her boots were white, and she wore black tights underneath the coat. "We don't know who this lady with her is. We should first inquire as to her identity so we could introduce ourselves to her before going over the Flower World trip."

"She's quite right, this woman here is a complete stranger to us all except Macarona," said the other demon with black eyes and red hair done up into two short pigtails. Her dress was red as well as black, plus white cuffs were at the end of her sleeves just like the sleeves of Yosafire's red sweater. This girl's tights were white and she even wore mary janes like the shoes Macarona wore. Turning to face the angel wearing a green and red sailor uniform, she spoke up to address her next. "Tell us, Macarona, who might your guest be? Is she perhaps a relative or pen pal of yours from a different region? If not, did she come over from the Flower World?" she inquired in a fancy tone.

"She is a friend of mine from another world, specifically an underworld," Macarona stated to answer her inquiry, holding out a hand to introduce Lil. "This is Lil, my friend from the Devil's Kingdom, the Pitch Black World's underworld," she explained briefly, hoping they recollected the demonic lady from when Macarona told them all about the time she spent in Reficul's underworld. Next she turned to Lil and raised a finger to point out who was who amongst her friends here. Only Rawberry wasn't present since she was probably with Raspbel at another therapy appointment for the older demon, though she could introduce Lil to those two later. A thought occurred to her that she could also let the demonic lady meet Crona, her friend from Clarabella's Museum of Arts and Crafts at another time too. Perhaps they could go there for a bit today. "Lil, this is Yosafire, Chelan, Froze, and Dialo. They're some of my friends here in this region of the Gray Garden. There's also a few more people not present right here at the time, though we'll probably see them afterwards."

"Sure thing, Macarona," the demonic woman seated next to her grinned, anticipating more introductions to other friends of the young angel in green and red. "Any friends of yours are friends of mine too." Looking around at the small gathering of other girls, she allowed Yosafire and Chelan to gaze at her dress and regal presence in awe while Froze and Dialo regarded her with scrutiny of the kind she experienced at the castle when meeting with this world's Goddess, Devil, and also the Head Angel. Not only that, but Lil was eager to answer any inquiries they might've had about her underworld, the Devil's Kingdom, because they surely must have wondered what it was like.

"Ah yes, Macarona did mention you attended a gathering of sorts months ago last year. I'm presuming the two of you met there and became close associates since then," Dialo hypothesized. She did indeed remember Macarona's story about that, so now she'd get confirmation from Lil.

"Yep, sure thing! I just knew she and I would be the best of friends when we first met. We even shared a guest room over at Sin's home," the older demon among them replied to her remark.

"Wow, so this is what a royal demon looks like!" Yosafire murmured aloud while looking upon Lil's dress, astounded that she was getting the chance to meet an aristocratic demon. She too recalled what the angel next to the older demon said regarding the other guests who attended Sin's little get together party. "Macarona told us so much about you, Miss Lil! This must be a first time visiting the Gray Garden for you! Are you enjoying the visit so far? What's the Devil's Kingdom like? Could we go there for a visit there someday? It sure sounds like a majestic place to sightsee."

"Absolutely loving it!" Lil replied, beaming cheerfully because she truly did love the Gray Garden and its peaceful culture despite having only stayed in this world for some time. "I must say it's a far better place than the Devil's Kingdom will ever be. You girls wouldn't like my hell very much, an underworld full of aristocrats who govern as a patriarchal monarchy with my own dipshit husband at the helm. I mean, some women are among the upper classes, though women don't have any power whatsoever while the poor can potentially join the aristocratic ranks in civilization. The whole society's completely patriarchal, authoritarian, and totalitarian in its complete foundation."

"Whoa, it's that bad?" the green haired demon replied in surprise. She had first believed a place referred to as the Devil's Kingdom was in fact a kingdom regardless of what time period the setting was currently in: ancient to medieval, renaissance to enlightenment, premodern to modern. In Yosafire's mind, a kingdom was a country or nation ruled over by a king or queen with princes or princesses as the heirs and councils of individuals in positions such as: Marshals, Stewards and Treasurers, Court Chaplains, Chancellors, and Spymasters. She was not wrong about any of it, and she certainly did learn about these aspects in school when taking history and politics courses. There was nothing incorrect about her assumption except for the fact she generalized the notion to many civilizations in foreign worlds. Of course, she also discriminated which ones fit the ideal portrayal of a kingdom in her mind; the Flame Underworld didn't seem to be a kingdom since she heard the place was a republic of disunited factions forced to subject themselves to Ivlis. And when she was generalizing potential kingdoms rather than discriminating, Yosafire assumed everything in all of those kingdoms was mostly happy aside from whatever concepts that also came from fantasy.

"Well, of course it is," Froze commented somewhat harsher than she may have intended at first. "Kingdoms may be similar to their representations in fantasy, but in real life they could really be a lot harsher than they are happy. Governments could be corrupt towards their populations, the idea of revolts, rebellions, and revolutions occurring—all of those potentially failing, I must add—bandit raids, civil wars like the War of Three Suns over in the Sun World…" She counted the ideas and held up her fingers for each subsequent one she uttered. Apparently she knew Yosafire so well that she automatically realized the demonic girl believed the Devil's Kingdom was a happy place. Froze figured that out when Yosafire first asked about Lil's underworld, though she allowed their demonic guest to break the ice by giving the girl a brief explanatory taste of reality. "There's more to kingdoms than simply peace like what the Gray Garden has along with the mythological beings and legends of fantasy being real as in all worlds. You can't just automatically assume every single kingdom is like that, Yosaf. If you want to experience it besides hearing it, go see for yourself."

Yosafire merely smiled, liking the idea because the angelic girl in gray had a point. "Sure, alright, I'll head over and do just that. Hopefully the Devil's Kingdom welcomes foreigners." Her cheerful remark garnered a facepalm and a sigh from Froze, suggesting the thought was frustrating to her. "What's wrong, Froze? Don't you want to come too and see what it's really like with me?"

"It's not that, it's you not realizing how serious this is," Froze retorted somewhat coldly.

"Hey, I know it's serious business since you and Miss Lil explained it," Yosafire replied.

"Just Lil would be fine, dearie," Lil piped up to let them know formalities weren't needed.

"As you wish, Lil," Dialo murmured aloud for everyone to hear prior to forwarding a brief inquiry of her own to contribute a question into this discussion. "Though I do not mean to pry into your personal affairs, there was something you also said which gave me cause for wonder. You've insulted your husband—Satanick, I believe his name is, right?" Seeing the demonic lady nod, Dialo resumed her inquiry into the matter. "Does that mean you dislike your spouse to some extent, Lil?"

"Oh, yeah, I definitely hate him, he's a total dipshit obsessed with power," Lil commented to answer the question. "He controls pretty much everything in the Devil's Kingdom, but lets men have autonomy in society whereas women don't. Like I said, the poor could improve their lifestyles by becoming wealthy; however, they can still lose what wealth they acquire just as aristocrats can too. Wealth and gender are the dominant factors of restrictions in my underworld with my dipshit husband enforcing them with cruel punishments and charges levied against those who dissent from his policies. While he does recognize there are some exceptions like Count Yatsuzaki and his wife, Killie, along with their son, Killisaki, and thus chooses to spare them because of their contributions to civilization, many of the inhabitants follow his reign to the fullest extent. Pretty much a majority of them are all loyalists, with the entire army being completely full of them from head to toe. The whole place pretty much caters to his whims and benefits from the privileges he bestows to them."

"And I take it you chose to leave your underworld for a short time because of this amongst other reasons?" the red haired demon once again made an assumption to investigate this matter. It reminded Macarona of how Lil was scrutinized by the other people she met at the meeting they've attended at Blancblack Castle and outside when they met Siegfried. While the brunette angel would have politely intervened by interjecting to stop Dialo from prying into personal details even though the demon herself said she didn't mean to, Lil spoke up freely to answer the inquiry most likely as she probably didn't care who knew while also being very open about her conflict with Satanick.

"Yep, though I did have a fight with him when I requested to have more power and he just denied me that. Such rude audacity! He has the nerve to treat me, his damn wife, like all the other women in society, including those he has affairs with just to ensure he gets a male heir willing for the position of accepting the throne after he either retires or keels over!" The sudden comment on marital affairs caught Macarona off guard as she hadn't heard Lil mention that ever before. While the others weren't really all that surprised as she was—Chelan and Yosafire appeared to be slightly shocked too—the angelic girl whom Lil was staying with began to realize there really was quite a lot more to this marital dispute between her and the Gentleman Devil than at first. She suspected as much when Lil gave her that brief lecture during the gathering at Sin's home and also when the lady offered further elaboration at the castle today. Yet she didn't know how far this went because she didn't want to pry like the others as it was rude and also since she believed it wasn't really all that horrible despite still being terrible due to the social and political elements of the dispute.

"Wait, hold on, your husband has affairs with other ladies?!" Macarona asked in shock.

"Certainly, Macarona," Lil clarified for her and the other girls with an explanation. "You'll recall I mentioned my son, Glasses, at the gathering last year, right?" Macarona nodded, but didn't say anything since she was allowing the demonic lady to continue talking about this. "Glasses does not care for politics. He's a good diplomat in the government, though wants nothing to do with his father—my dipshit husband—and the political machinations of government as he sees it as nothing but trouble and strife. He purposely alienates himself from his father in spite of maintaining decent relations with me, his mother. My dipshit husband doesn't like that and tried forcing him into the patriarchal system, but Glasses follows Count Yatsuzaki's example with Kiku, his girlfriend; even though Kiku's more like the other women loyal to their husbands and boyfriends. Upon realizing he couldn't force Glasses to accept his role as an heir, and also due to being so unable to get rid of him because Glasses is good at his job, my dipshit husband decided to have an assortment of affairs to try producing a male heir loyal to him. He'll do anything for one he can pass leadership to."

"And that would apparently include infuriating you, his wife, over the issue since your son prefers to not be the heir," Froze concluded rhetorically after listening to Lil talk about that. "You don't seem too happy about it and your lack of power which Satanick refuses to share with you."

"Hell no, I sure as hell am not pleased with it!" Lil remarked, leaning back in her seat while putting an arm around Macarona. "That dipshit husband of mine never pays any attention to family affairs so long as he can hold power and use it as smoothly as possible. He wants to use our son to preserve his reign and legislative policies instead of giving him the fatherly attention the boy needs. I've been the only parent of us to provide that, and while Glasses isn't really fond what I do when doting on him, he's still alright around me and will tolerate the embarrassing stuff. I honestly swear that dipshit husband of mine is literally running society into the ground with his damn corruption."

"Then let me ask you this question, Lil," Dialo spoke up to pose another inquiry. "If you're the only parent your son really has to support him, why are you not at his side right now? Did you at least consider bringing him here too, or have you just left him behind if he can handle himself?"

"I did ask him," the demonic lady replied honestly, "though he made the choice to stay and maintain things back home. Glasses is a strong lad and he's got Kiku by his side; he's quite capable of taking care of himself and others who require his attention and assistance. Besides, my son does not involve himself in disputes between my dipshit husband and I; he knows his father is absolutely wrong and that I'm right, but says it isn't his business to concern himself in it because of the work he does. Glasses is employed under another demon named Sullivan who works in the main castle's Department of International and National Diplomatic Affairs, and he's constantly going on various business trips to other underworlds and even to the Corporate Heaven as well. Unbeknown to him, however, I've actually used some of his connections in our world's heaven to sneak out and come here. Why, if I'm not mistaken, Sullivan was once a resident of the Colored Rainbow World back when the angels and demons of this world were fighting amongst each other in their huge war."

"So Glasses knows what's going on, yet doesn't have many opportunities to get involved," Yosafire speculated while Chelan simply hummed inquisitively. "Plus he also doesn't want that to get in the way of his work for this Mr. Sullivan guy." Lil simply nodded to confirm her theory.

"Yeah, I don't blame him for it, though. They're both employed by Yagi, a Chancellor and Marshal who just so happens to be the strongest of my dipshit husband's loyalists. Wherever he'll be going, he's always sure to have Yagi by his side, and Yagi will slaughter anybody who has the guts to be disloyal towards him and my dipshit husband. The goat demon's good with guns and he is quite the sharpshooter with any firearm regardless of how heavy, medium, or light it is; but I've heard he's got a preference for shotguns and revolvers. That bit of him killing any disloyal people said, he can't get a bead on me whenever I turn into a bunch of bats because I'm much faster than him which is why he doesn't waste any ammo on me whenever I try to make my voice heard loud and clear." Stretching her arms up in the air, Lil smiled as she took a deep breath. "Though enough about me; I've yet to ask you girls about yourselves too. Besides, I sure am getting hungry and I'm wondering if you haven't eaten yet. If not, why don't we discuss the rest of this over lunch, okay?"

Listening to murmurs of agreement from the other girls with Yosafire cheering about that, Macarona couldn't help but concur too. Still, she was worried that Lil's issues were hard to solve.

…

 **The plot thickens with this sudden revelation Lil has provided. As has been noted, the Devil's Kingdom clearly isn't a place where women could have power such as the rights and freedoms one might find in modern societies where women attained these ideals. The Devil's Kingdom seems to be a modern hell due to its portrayal in the canon manga series, Obsolete Dream—if I'm correct about that. That being said, it is still a civilization in which women don't have power; the men do, and that is why the men of this underworld can do whatever they please since they have the freedom to do virtually anything. This includes marital affairs if male heirs are unavailable to inherit anything from patriarchs of families and households. The notion made sense back in medieval ages when kings needed male heirs who would claim the throne of their kingdoms whenever male heirs were desperately required for the purpose.**

 **One of the most well-known examples of the aspect is King Henry VIII of England as he had married six women in total to try acquiring a male heir: Catherine of Aragon; Anne Boleyn; Jane Seymour; Anne of Cleves; Catherine Howard; and Catherine Parr. All of the marriages occurred between 1509 and 1547, and of these six, three—Catherine of Aragon alongside the two Annes—were annulled; the other three were kept, and according to court laws of Middle Age society, annulled marriages didn't exist. This means Jane Seymour along with the remaining two Catherines were considered official marriages. Jane also gave Henry VIII an heir, as did Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn. Two of the heirs were daughters: Mary I (famously referred to as Bloody Mary because she executed Protestants), born to him and Catherine of Aragon; and Elizabeth I (Virgin Queen, Good Queen Bess, or Gloriana), born to him and Anne Boleyn. Jane Seymour was the only wife who birthed the male heir he wanted, Edward VI. You can learn more about Henry VIII and his wives on Wikipedia.**

 **Furthermore, another element that can be found on Wikipedia is the Nandi Bear. The Nandi Bear is a cryptid from East Africa, specifically western Kenya where the Nandi people are located. This cryptid's name is derived from them, and it's also thought to be very similar to hyenas and bears. Furthermore, they are believed to consume brains of their prey and the Nandi Bears were actually common in the region in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.**

 **An additional individual you can look up on Wikipedia is Carl Zeiss, the man I named the orrery mentioned earlier in the chapter after. Carl Zeiss was a German who constructed optical instruments like lenses and helped shape modern production of these items. He's also the founder of Carl Zeiss Jena, a company he founded to make the items. The company was renamed as Carl Zeiss AG, but the original name likely came from the location he established the company in: Jena, a university town in Thuringia, a federal state located in Germany.**

 **Getting back to the point about the marital affairs Satanick is alluded to having, there is a reason why the process of annulment wasn't mentioned in this chapter or the other ones. I shall elaborate on this in the next chapter; though another reason was because I learned of the notion while working on these author's notes. Nevertheless, I thought of an idea that can make this work for the purpose of adding more development to the Devil's Kingdom. It could provide a bit of non-canon lore to this underworld's history and judicial culture in this sense.**


	4. Chapter Four: Plans for Fun and Combat

"Lil, may I ask you something?" she inquired, albeit with some hesitation because of what she learned when first introducing the demonic lady to her friends. Before that was what Lil stated regarding civilization in the Devil's Kingdom in addition to what her husband could have done to her. Yet prior to even that was a request she put forth before him to acquire more power. Macarona discovered all of this in the brief time that Lil spent with her since showing up the previous night. However, everything was making her head swim in confused theories and ideas as to what the true purpose of coming to the Gray Garden was. She knew very well that it was because of a bad marital dispute between her demonic friend and Satanick, the lady's spouse and Gentleman Devil. Though Macarona could understand that much and everything else Lil was saying, she couldn't help feeling like there was more to this marital dispute than simply being about a request for more power. The young angel still didn't want to pry too much, though felt it was necessary to determine if all those factors her otherworldly companion mentioned up till now were amalgamated into one big dispute.

Thinking back on everything she heard from her, Macarona attempted to put it into a pretty clear perspective as a means of better comprehending the true nature of Lil's problems. First came the inquiry for additional power which drove the demon out of the Devil's Kingdom in anger. The reason for that request had to have been the lack of power, rights, and freedoms for women whom had none because men dominated society, thus forming and developing a patriarchal society where ever poor individuals could become aristocrats if they played their cards right. This system wasn't in favor of women, however, regardless of whether they joined the upper classes too since the true power was held by men due to the civilization's culture, legislature, and social norms and mors. It was corrupt in Lil's eyes and Macarona could understand that much, though apparently a lot of the hatred her friend directed towards the Devil's Kingdom was also directed at her husband as he was having affairs with other women just for the sake of acquiring a male heir who'd inherit the throne. Added up and combined together, these motives produced a mixture of intense scorn for what that underworld was like and how it could've been on the road to ruining itself without revolutions and any rebellions or revolts. The lower classes might not have been in a position to commit themselves to such causes in order to secure better lifestyles and benefits, and even the middle classes might've felt the same way. It seemed like nothing could've been done to truly change that hell for the better.

Looking up at the lady beside her, Macarona gradually began to believe there were actually other concerns Lil wasn't raising since she probably preferred to keep most of them unsaid as well as close to the chest. There was only one logical explanation the young angel could think of to try and solve that matter, and it was merely an issue pertaining to politics. Specifically political ideas and machinations of the Devil's Kingdom, details the demon would've known better than her since she was Satanick's wife. As his spouse, Lil would've had access to plenty of secrets the Gentleman Devil and his associates in the government like that Yagi guy she mentioned—unless not if they've chosen to keep secrets too, which they most likely would've as they were men in power—had. Lil was a woman who didn't have power and was probably just some trophy of affection for what had been another dominant factor within the Devil's Kingdom: wealth. Yet she probably was aware of some things the men including her husband didn't know she knew. Everything felt like a big secret.

That was why Macarona felt uncertain about what this marital dispute was really all about. Although she'd still provide Lil with the support she needed, the angel had to know more about it.

"Sure, Macarona, you can ask me anything," the demonic lady responded with a grin to let her know it was alright to put forth any inquiries which she'd answer to the best of her abilities so long as they pertained to subjects she knew to some degree. "Go ahead, feel free to shoot at once."

The two of them had already left Macarona's other friends after they finished lunch. Chelan and Dialo had to return home to work on a project for school while Yosafire had other assignments she needed to do as well and Froze was called to join a patrol near the border of another region. It was a pleasant separation from the other girls who agreed to meet up again at school. Unfortunately for Lil, she couldn't go since she wasn't a student or even a teacher for that matter. Unless she had made a choice to contact the school about being a guest lecturer or some kind of visitor, she could not attend. Luckily the girls said they could still get together after school was over to hang out with her, so the demonic lady was satisfied. With just her and Lil left of their group, Macarona decided to show her foreign friend around the rest of Gray Village so the demon could get acclimated to it. Now that they were alone despite being around other citizens of the village, she posed her inquiry. "Is everything you mentioned today and last night part of that dispute with your husband? I know it might not be my place to pry, but I can't help but feel worried that you're dealing with a lot more than just a simple request for power. I'll still support you, though I feel there's a lot happening."

"Oh, that? You don't need to worry so much about the issue, Macarona," Lil tried to assure her this wasn't as bad as she thought it was. "I do acknowledge the problems with my hell, though I'm in no position to try and change that even if I did have more power. The Devil's Kingdom has always been a patriarchy, so the men wouldn't allow me to alter civilization to usher some equality in for women. Reform is pretty much next to impossible there; all I'd be able to really have is some more involvement in affairs—not much, I'm afraid, but it's the best I could hope to do in society."

"But your husband has affairs and could possibly have you assassinated," the angel pointed out, recalling those details which demonstrated how little Satanick actually cared for his spouse.

"Because I'm more or less expendable since Glasses won't accept his role as the male heir my dipshit husband wants. Fortunately, I'm faster and smarter than he gives me credit, and that is why he has no chance of getting rid of me. Besides, he can't even annul our marriage to claim that it never happened because legislation set into judicial and marital systems of the Devil's Kingdom prohibits that action. It was an idea a predecessor of his far beyond even the time of the last Devil thought of as a way of letting people remember who they were married to after falling from power and grace. They won't make the same mistake by marrying them or associates once more, leaving divorce as a valid, but unadvised method of casting wives aside. The reason being the emergence of a potential scandal that could cost men legitimacy for having power and prestige when taken to court. Don't get me wrong, Macarona, women can prove things in court provided they have solid, concrete evidence; testimony is considered utter bullshit as it alone is merely a wife's word against her husband that can't be proven without any of that evidence backing it. That's the difficult part."

"Meaning assassinations are a legal option in the Devil's Kingdom?" Macarona asked, but decided not to pursue whatever secretive matters Lil knew about as the Gentleman Devil's wife.

"Not in legislation, though the loophole for them is allowed on purpose provided men have the money to pay for it and also if their own bad secrets aren't revealed to civilization in any way."

"But even so, women like you could still be killed off," the young angel murmured, feeling worried about those poor demonic women in the Devil's Kingdom who were still killed that way.

"True, women do fear for their lives, that much I can concede because it's real," Lil stated in agreement with her and then elaborated on the concept again. "That being said, the fear of death is only valid in their minds for one reason only: wealth. They seek to become rich and famous like their spouses and are concerned with how they may never get to know that illusionary pleasure as they are being killed if the men do attempt to have them assassinated. It's a horrible belief of theirs, really, for their greed is practically equivalent to how greedy men could be in my underworld. The two genders don't share it with anyone, keeping everything for themselves. Although cooperation is necessary to acquire wealth and maintain it, once somebody loses it everything's up for grabs. I also despise how this belief many other women there have was instilled in them by the culture."

"I thought you said your husband claims all of it," Macarona commented since Lil did say that. Then again, she supposed it was only in the case of widows and their daughters who lost their husbands to the cold, bony fingers of death. Maybe Satanick let other men fight over other wealth.

"From widows and their daughters, yes, though not from other interactions that didn't even involve him. He doesn't give a shit about cash that's not his even though he could theoretically be the claimant who steals it from others legally with his devilishly legal prowess," the demonic lady confirmed further for her friend. "Even so, he's aware that doing that will cause friction in between him and whoever he stole the money from. It's why he never bothers to participate in other deals."

The angelic girl beside her blinked, putting all of this into perspective to comprehend what everything meant within the Devil's Kingdom. Wealth and gender were the only limits Lil clarified in her lectures on the civilization. The demons there, both men and women, were all greedy as they lusted for much wealth they could flaunt. However, it was the men who held more power alongside the wealth women could only show off, not use. If women were to become involved, they could've been killed off by their spouses because they actually did manage to control some of the wealth on their own; legally throwing them into the lower classes was also an option for widows and however many daughters they had. Only the men benefitted, and Satanick bestowed them with such power that they could've done virtually anything in accordance with laws that were so tainted by corrupt policies to the point where they could've gotten off scot free if they didn't rebel against society in any way. This was all beginning to make more sense to her as Macarona began to believe the only way to empower women in the Devil's Kingdom was to reform it via revolutionary policies which enabled them to become equal. Although women were practically symbols of men's wealth, there were two examples she thought of who exceeded these norms and mors of the civilization. "What about Her Majesty and Lady Killie?" she asked, taking them into account too. "They have power."

Lil nodded. "Only because the Queen's stronger than my dipshit husband, plus her position as the sovereign monarch outranks his. Killie's a close friend of her as she's deeply entrenched in her social circle just like you, Macarona—even though you've only associated with Her Highness once. That's how Killie managed to keep whatever power she has and maintain it, plus her husband and son help her preserve it," she continued to elaborate and clarify the details for Macarona. She stretched her arms in the air, feeling rejuvenated by the warmth and welcoming atmosphere here.

"I see…" the angel remarked as she slowly began to better comprehend the nature of power in the Devil's Kingdom. Lil was certainly quite an expert on the machinations of the civilization's affairs and how it functioned as a whole. Perhaps there was more to these subjects regarding all of this than the demonic lady was revealing, a suspicion Macarona was gradually beginning to realize as a possible truth. Lil was Satanick's wife, so it was only natural she'd understand the civilization he governed with fellow men like him, a society in which male heirs were constantly needed since male dominance had to be maintained on their end while women were excluded and also suffered whatever harm befell them. Yet Macarona couldn't help but think Lil knew far more about this all from not just the perspective of the Devil's spouse, but also from experience as well. Nevertheless, it wasn't her place to pry any further than necessary even though she'd still help Lil and allow her to stay with her—doing so could've soured their friendship which Macarona didn't want to happen.

Deciding to change the subject, she thought of what to do as she fished out a form from her pocket and looked it over while getting an idea of what she and Lil could've done together. As the investigator they spoke to in the castle's courtyard had said, a quest log would've been filed about those monsters he spoke of over in the Zeiss Orrery. This document in question which she held in her hand was that very log, and it was geared towards skilled adventurers and hunters who wanted to handle the matter. Macarona may have been a high school student, but even kids from that level of experience could take care of quests like this one provided they had an adult to do it with. Since she had been involved in the defense against Ivlis' invasion, the young angel could've also handled this on her own because she had experience from that conflict. Plus she was the reincarnated from her ancestor, Rigatona. These factors certainly qualified her for even advanced quests students like her wouldn't normally have been allowed to go on. Whatever the case, this quest was intermediate because the Nandi Bears were of average strength and didn't wield magic, though Wights could've made use of weapons and magic. Siegfried mentioned only one might've led the other monsters.

Taking notice of the form Macarona had, Lil smiled excitedly upon seeing words garnering a happy reaction from her: _Quest Log_. Her eyes scanned over details written below it, taking them in while her delight grew with each term she covered as she read the document aloud. _"Wanted: Skilled adventurers or hunters with experience fighting undead. Nandi Bears and a possible Wight confirmed in the space around Zeiss Orrery. Parties should consist of around two to four fighters, maximally four for better success if needed. Reward amounts to around five hundred gold coins."_ The demonic lady's eyes met Macarona's and the woman smiled eagerly because she was pleased her friend acquired that form before anybody else. Of course, other quests were left up at the board for others to take if they wanted, so it didn't really matter since this was the only quest they took for themselves. "Sounds sweet! We could have so much fun hunting these things and putting them to the sword—figuratively speaking since neither of us use blades—and we'll split the reward too! What do you say, Macarona? Shall we? It'll be a fun experience, won't it?" she asked excitedly.

"Certainly, that's why I got it," the angel remarked with a smile of her own, glad they were off the topic about the Devil's Kingdom and any other subjects covered by it. "It is actually a way some of my friends and I acquire revenue from time to time whenever we're free to do things like this and feel up to it. Of course, we all do have other means of earning our salary like at small part time jobs such as my work as a weeklong night guard in Clarabella's Museum of Arts and Crafts."

Lil grinned, wanting to go see Macarona's brief workplace. She read about it, and now she had a chance to go see it too. "Ooh, can we go there too to see where you worked, Macarona?!"

"Sure, it's been a while since I've seen my boss from the museum," Macarona agreed to it when she received a phone call. Pulling her cellphone out and flipping it open, she answered with a smile on her face and a pleasant greeting. "Hello, this is Macarona. May I ask who is speaking?"

"Hey, Macarona, good day to you. It's me, Xerxes," the demonic curator replied over from his end of the call. Since it was a Saturday, he was either at home or the museum overseeing affairs and helping other employees with work like preparing exhibits, tours, and artwork. Macarona was unable to suppress a chuckle at the coincidence of him calling right when she and Lil were talking about the place and him. "How are you? It's been a while since your interview with me about the museum and the conspiracy. Things are going well in school and home, right?" he asked politely.

"Yep! Things are going swell. I'm just entertaining a guest right now," the angel replied.

"Ah, that's nice. I'll call you later if you're not heading to the museum right now. But listen for just a couple moments, okay?" Xerxes requested since there was something he wanted to relay to her. "One of the publishing agents from the castle stopped by a few days back, wanting to know if the museum could be a venue for book signing and questions with readers of your book. I heard from one of your teachers who happens to be a friend of mine that you were away, so I figured I'd contact you today regarding this. Would this be an acceptable location, and when can this occur?"

"I'm fully on board, and we're actually coming over for a bit in a little while as my guest's interested in seeing the place," Macarona commented with her approval of the idea. "We'll discuss this in more detail once I arrive. Is there a period when I can make an appointment with you?" She could hear noise from other people on his end, so the young angel believed he was at the museum. If not, that might have been family members of his or some friends who had gone to hang out with Xerxes at his house for some time. Maybe he brought his family and friends to the museum too.

"Great, though an appointment isn't necessary. We're just applying some finishing touches to a few pieces while completing the setup for some exhibits. There've also been ideas on how to renovate the building and increase the size of it too. But as I said, you don't need an appointment since I'll be somewhere around the museum as the rest of this work is getting finished. I'll let the receptionists know you'll be arriving shortly and they'll inform you of where I am at the time."

"Certainly, that's fine with me. I'll see you in a bit, Xerxes; have a good day and take care," the angelic girl responded, saying her goodbyes as he did the same before she hung up and turned to Lil. "That was Xerxes, my boss from the museum from last year back when I worked there. He is at the museum, so I can introduce you to him once we head over in a bit," she briefly explained.

"What was the call about?" the demonic lady inquired out of curiosity since she was in fact interested in what her hostess had discussed with the man on the other end of the phone. Although Lil was able to make out some bits on her own, she sought more details pertaining to the dialogue.

"Oh, it was just about establishing a venue where I can autograph copies of my book while answering any inquiries the readers are seeking to address. Other people who were quite involved with the affair contributed interviews I've done with them to the book itself, so I'd like to check if they'll be able to attend as well so they can also provide autographs too. It's come quite a ways in around a year, though now it's finally been published and is available in bookstores and libraries."

"Awesome! Can I have a free autographed copy too, Macarona?!"

"Absolutely!" Macarona replied right away with a smile directed at the demon. "You may feel free to have one. The books are cheap in bookstores, though free to rent in libraries. However, they shall be free to keep once they're available at the event. I just need to establish a date as well as a time when we can hold it. Luckily as the author, I am allowed the privilege of putting in some orders at the castle for free copies which could be given away as gifts. That's what I've done with the few copies I've sent to Sin and Rane while personally delivering one to Rosaliya on the trip."

Lil laughed, clasping her hands together. "Oh, simply splendidly stupendous! You certainly are an angel, Macarona!" she remarked happily as the angel laughed with her for a bit until turning her head towards a small flower shop that had its lights on which caught her attention. Seeing this, the demon also directed her gaze at the store and glanced over at the sign hanging above the door. "The Auburn Tulip…" she murmured, catching sight of a few other demons in the building which Macarona pointed out as she began to speak up because the three demons were also friends of hers.

"Oh, those girls are my other friends," she uttered and started ambling towards the location with Lil in tow. "Come on, I'll introduce you to the rest of them. This is where the Preserves sisters work with Crona. You'll love this place, it has many beautiful flowers on display and for sale too."

"Ah, flowers, like the ones planted in your yard?" the demonic lady inquired, delighted by the prospect as Macarona nodded to confirm her answer to the question. "Ooh, I'd love to see what precious little pretties they're selling! We could even do some gardening together some time!"

"I'll be looking forward to it; we could do that next weekend if the weather outside is nice," her angelic companion said while opening the door as the bell above it inside rang to indicate they arrived. Crossing the threshold, Macarona stepped inside with Lil and went forward to address her friends who worked here. "Hi, Rawberry, Raspbel, Crona. It's good to see you. How's business?"

"Macarona!" Rawberry called her friend's name out cheerfully, welcoming her. "Doing so great, as a matter of fact! We made plenty of sales this week!" Saying so, she bounded over to her angelic associate and picked up a potted plant. An apron with the store's insignia on it was wrapped around her to keep soil and other kinds of crud from getting on her outfit. Instead of the black dress and white tights she usually wore, Rawberry was attired in a pair of jeans, work boots, and a green t-shirt because she didn't want to stain her regular garb. She grinned, showing the potted plant, the small rose bush she planted, to Macarona with her eyes closed as she was proud of her little project. "See this one? I've grown this one myself, but big sis and Crona helped me get it and others done."

"Oh, that's great!" Macarona complimented her as the demon she used to work with at the museum stepped over to greet her. "Hey, Crona, things going well? How are you liking the job?"

"Doing rather swell; I haven't seen you stop by for a while," the demon remarked, her blue hair flowing down to her back where the brown wings were. Crona still wore the military uniform from her days as both a night guard and day guard. It was a professional garb, something she took very seriously because it was of the utmost importance to her that she come across as professional. "Rawberry and Raspbel told me you were on a trip of some kind to the Flower World. How was it if you don't mind me asking? You must've just gotten back not too long ago, maybe last night?"

"Yeah, late the previous night. The trip went rather well; I'm sure you girls would love the Flower World since there are so many flowers and herbs. Aside from those, the pagan religions as well as the culture, mythology, and folklore, are all quite fascinating too due to how old they are."

"Is that so?" Crona inquired, her eyes averting over to the fourth demon in the store as well. "I'd go there sometime, but Uncle Flavio still needs my help at the cemetery. Pleasantries put aside for the moment so we can get introductions going, who's the lady with you? She a friend of yours?"

"That's right, this is Lil, the wife of Satanick, known as Gentleman Devil of the Devil's Kingdom," the only angel in their group remarked while holding a hand out to introduce Lil to the trio of employees. "Lil, this is Rawberry and Crona; Raspbel's the one who went into the backroom just now." Macarona smiled as the demonic lady stepped forward to amicably greet the girls here.

"Oh, you're the rest of Rawberry's friends, huh? It's so good to meet you!" she remarked.

"Pleasure to meet you too, Miss Lil," Rawberry shook hands with the lady as her big sister returned from putting away some empty pots. "Our apologies, but we're not open today. All we're doing is cleaning up from yesterday's flea market. We sold lots of flowers to other residents along with the tourists who showed up for that, and couldn't get around to cleaning because it went very late into the night. Feel free to browse for anything; we'll gladly hold onto whatever you locate for Monday when we do open," she explained briefly as Raspbel came over to join the conversation.

"It's okay, Rawberry, we could give her a free sample today," she commented with a small smile directed at Lil, walking over to embrace her younger sister from behind in a sisterly hug. "If you wish to bring something back to your underworld, Miss Lil, you can certainly choose from the variety we've still got in stock. I'm afraid your choices will be limited, however, due to the few in the shop as you can see." Holding an arm up, Raspbel motioned it around to show there really was a very limited amount mostly likely because of the flea market they participated in on Friday. Her cheerful nature and gentle demeanor were pleasant elements of her character which felt warm and friendly to others like them around her. Macarona smiled with her eyes temporarily shut, recalling how Raspbel suffered due to the psychological trauma Soa and those Ghouls put her through. Even though it had been months since the incident occurred last year, the eldest Preserves sister seemed to be making a good recovery. Although Raspbel might've still had some trouble with her trauma, at least she had Rawberry and friends by her side to help support her through hurdles plaguing her. "Still, you're very welcome to take your pick from the remaining stock because we were thinking about letting Monday be a day for focusing more on what's been left over from yesterday's event."

"Thanks, I'll see if anything here catches my eye!" the demonic lady stated in appreciation of this hospitality when she caught a glimpse of a small shrine with two pictures in front of it. She ambled over to the shrine and bent down slightly to better look at the photos of two angels in them. Upon watching the other demon do this, Raspbel stared down at the floor in shame while tears had begun to form in her eyes. The poor girl still felt guilty about what happened to Ruby and Serenity, and she couldn't help but cry over their deaths because the two of them were close friends of hers. As the sole employee left from the days when she and the two angelic girls she used to work with before Soa slaughtered them, Raspbel was essentially in a position making her the new boss of the shop. She didn't dare think about thanking her doppelganger for the management position because her friends were both slain by said doppelganger. It wasn't how she wanted to acquire the position, though Raspbel received it anyway in spite of wanting to refuse it. Yet she couldn't since she made a promise to her friends' spirits that she'd take care of The Auburn Tulip and look after it. Each of the individuals present who knew well about what happened gazed at her in concern, worried that Raspbel was still having trouble coping with the loss of Serenity and Ruby. Lil didn't appear to be aware of this as her eyes were still on the photos. "Hey, who are these girls?" she asked curiously.

"Raspbel's friends…" Macarona murmured softly, lowering her voice to a whisper because she didn't want to upset Rawberry's older sister any further while walking towards Lil. "They are the ones who were killed…She's still very much upset and quite traumatized by their deaths…"

Lil silently opened her mouth in an 'oh' expression, standing upright while turning around to express her sympathies to Raspbel. "Sorry, my condolences; I didn't mean to bring that up."

"A-ah, n-no, i-it's alright," the older Preserves sister murmured shyly, stuttering her words out of somber nervousness while turning around so nobody would have to see her weep. Although they were understanding of how she felt, the poor girl had to be strong for others because she didn't want to make them worry about her. It was a double-edged sword, what with her appreciating this concern from others and feeling embarrassed by it too because she wasn't used to the attention that came when they expressed concerns for her wellbeing and feelings. "I-I'm fine, r-really. Just head around the shop and try to find s-something you like. Rawberry and Crona can help you search. It is no t-trouble at all, you may feel free to browse for however much time you need." This remaining part of her statement was uttered in a quick pace, her tone of voice showing she tried to be strong.

"No, it's okay, I could come again another day if you need some time alone," Lil attempted to reassure her by offering to return another time when Raspbel was feeling much better. However, it didn't appear to really work as Rawberry stepped over to her and Macarona while her big sister's sadness was taking a toll on the poor girl. Raspbel probably needed some therapeutic help to heal.

"Thanks for the concern," the younger demon commented, frowning somberly. "Big sis is very grateful for it as am I. Ruby and Serenity were such good friends of ours, so their passing can be difficult for us at times, especially for big sis as she still feels responsible for what happened to them." Her voice softened while she was telling them this, but Rawberry smiled to show gratitude towards Lil for her consideration of Raspbel's feelings. "Thank you very much for taking how she feels into account; it means a lot to us knowing others understand the pain she daily feels nowadays because of their deaths. Hopefully she'll be able to make a full recovery and get better real soon."

Macarona and Lil both smiled with her. "Indeed," the young angel remarked cheerfully for Raspbel. "She's been doing fine since then from what I know, though I do too pray she'll get much better so she wouldn't have to suffer from this pain anymore." There were murmurs of agreement from the two demons by her when the sudden clanging of something that fell seized their attention all of a sudden. Diverting their attention over to where Raspbel had dropped an empty pot that had cracked due to the accident she inadvertently caused, the three of them began to hear her crying in fear while the poor girl started scratching her arms violently to get something they didn't see off.

"Rawberry, attend to your sister!" Crona instructed the young demon and cleaned the mess.

"Already on it!" the young demon uttered in concern as she rushed to Raspbel's side prior to kneeling down beside her when her older sister stumbled back into the counter where the register was and slumped to the floor. Raspbel's face convulsed into frightful fear and she turned very pale while shivering uncontrollably, her cries of terror echoing throughout the building. "It's okay, big sis, nothing's there. It'll be okay…shhhh…everything's going to be alright," Rawberry murmured reassuringly to soothe Raspbel's nerves and help her calm down before helping her stand up while leading the older demon into the backroom for some time her sister needed to settle down to relax.

"Whoa, what's up with her?" the demonic lady inquired in confusion after observing them leave. "Did she get covered in ants or something? That trauma she experienced can't be that bad."

"I'm afraid it is a result of the trauma, an issue Raspbel's having trouble dealing with even now after the incident that involved her as a focal point to significantly affect her negatively," the other demon commented to inform her of what just happened. "She was diagnosed with delusional parasitosis, a mental illness that affects both her visual and feeling perceptions to make her believe there are parasites crawling all over her body and burrowing into it too while emerging from it. An awful issue for Raspbel with the particularly oddity about it being the fact she sees tentacles rather than parasites according to Rawberry since she said she heard that from Raspbel at times. It's real bad in the mornings because she fights herself to stay sane when it happens until Rawberry comes in the afternoons to help out. That's when Raspbel's sanity is on the verge of breaking into pieces."

Macarona knew exactly what the reason was even though she didn't understand that much of it herself. The angel believed the tentacles were likely a reference to that strange statue Soa had favored and referred to as her master from what she remembered of when Raspbel's doppelganger kidnapped her and Rawberry to eat them with Raspbel. That had to be the case. Nevertheless, she chose to not voice this concern out of respect for Raspbel and also due to the fact it was supposed to be kept secret and not be told to anybody outside of the Gray Garden due to their neutral allies.

"Gee, that sounds pretty rough; I hope she can recover from it," Lil commented to express more condolences and sympathies for Raspbel before turning to address the angel. "Maybe it'll be better to head out for now and come back another time, Macarona. It should do Raspbel some good to have some time alone for now so she could recover from that, okay?" It was a sound idea as the other demon and young angel agreed to it for the poor girl's sake because she needed some rest.

"That would be for the best," Crona remarked as she went behind the counter to keep going with the cleaning. "I'll see you both around, and don't forget to stop by my uncle's house if you'd like for a visit. You remember where it is, right, Macarona? A far side of the cemetery?" she asked to ensure her angelic associate did indeed remember the place. "Uncle Flavio and I shall welcome you anytime. It's the least we could do for your aid in solving the conspiracy and helping me too." Lifting some baskets up to begin storing plants in them, Crona wiped the sweat over her brow off.

"Certainly, we're probably going to pass right by your home en route to the Haunted Woods in a little while today," Macarona stated before she and Lil departed. "Oh, speaking of that, I shall be heading over to the museum to establish a date and time for a venue where I'll be signing books and answering questions regarding the conspiracy. Would you like to be a part of that since you've been heavily involved in the incident as well? You're more than welcome to come participate too."

Crona shut her eyes for a bit to consider the invitation, putting a finger to her chin while in deep thought over whether she'd accept it or not. Clarabella, a well-known angel from the Colored Rainbow World during the war, had adopted her grandfather, a demon since animatronic weapons she created as a head engineer malfunctioned. Her grandfather was an infant when it occurred, and the discovery of what Clarabella did would've caused a scandal if revealed. Etihw and Robin made sure to help cover the adoption up, but Germain figured it out too and blackmailed them as Robin spied on him for Clarabella and Etihw. That was in the past and she was grateful to everybody but Germain for helping her grandfather to ensure he managed to survive and live a happy life with an excellent family once the war ended. However, she still couldn't forgive Etihw for doing nothing; for not helping her mother, and also for letting the conspiracy happen while innocent people died. Had things been different back then, this might not have ever happened; had Etihw done something sooner, those poor night guards wouldn't have perished due to both the animatronics as well as the Cyfuno Gwirodydd that controlled them. It was a tragic affair that did not need to ever happen, yet it did and nothing was done in time to stop it from claiming lives, including her mother's life. The pain Crona felt from that was pretty severe, though she was moving on and learning to cope. "Sure, I'll see if I could make some time for that. Let me know when it will be starting," she responded.

"Absolutely, we're heading over to the museum now to discuss details with Xerxes. I could tell him and the other employees you said hi," Macarona replied as Crona nodded to that as well.

"Go ahead, it's been a while since I've actually had an opportunity to interact with them."

"Okay, we'll be seeing you around," the angel commented as she and Lil waved goodbye.

…

Eyes glazing over the report placed onto his desk by one of the employees in the department when he brought it over to him, the demonic young man picked it up and opened the folder to read over what the documents were about. Scanning it in detail with a critical gaze, he analyzed all the subjects described pertaining to various bank statements that were affected by national policies his father recently set into motion. Apparently Satanick had increased the payroll for military officers in service to him. This would've gone to the centralized banking institution in this underworld, yet the Gentleman Devil believed it was wise to inform the Department of International and National Diplomatic Affairs about the matter as well for whatever reason. Since a specified increase, a total of four thousand gold coins for military officers, was set before him only now when the date on it indicated this was already signed into law a week ago, Glasses could infer many things from this.

For starters, this practically coincided with a decline in the payroll of workers like him who were employed in this department. Evidently his father was planning something with this text. The young man didn't know what exactly, though he supposed it could have been a contribution toward what may have been the start of a military campaign. Perhaps it was also a demeaning insult to the Department of International and National Diplomatic Affairs because its accomplishments weren't as stellar as the Gentleman Devil sought. They were supposed to conduct diplomatic affairs for the national and international spheres of this underworld and others. To disparage this was an affront, an outrage against them because their work was valuable and sorely needed to ensure this hell was intact. Glasses did not care what the motive was so long as his father gave a significant—and very good—reason for the decrease in their pay and an increase for the army leaders with their salaries.

Putting a bent finger to his chin, he considered what this meant before eventually shrugging because it appeared to him other employees here weren't too bothered by that. The demons in here were conversing about other topics like the news and some rumors, yet amiably towards each other that suggested they either didn't know or were fully aware of it. The broken seal taped on the folder suggested the latter, and he did see some of his employees read over it. Maybe they made the very same inferences he did, otherwise they'd be highly against this. Satanick made no speeches about the matter, though the Gentleman Devil probably did have something in mind when he did. Glasses knew his father quite well and hated the man for what he was doing to the Devil's Kingdom, so he could only suspect this operation may have been illegal depending upon other factors. Then again, contrary to his suspicions, his belief was biased due to said hatred and Her Majesty might not have done anything about it if she were made aware because she provided her subjects and Devils plenty of autonomy so they could handle their own affairs in light of any administration she performed.

The Queen should've done something about this, but didn't for whatever reason. Satanick was the Devil of the Devil's Kingdom, and she lived here as well even if in a different region. Still, she was a resident and had more power than his father, so she was fully capable of handling this.

Throwing a quick glance at the clock while adjusting his glasses, the young man saw time was up regarding his shift. It was nine thirty-seven, a couple minutes beyond the overtime Glasses was putting in alongside some of the other demons who still worked here. Packing some stuff into his briefcase and standing up to leave, he caught sight of his superior approaching him with a few amicable waves of his hand gesturing the greeting this other man was giving him. "Glasses, you're heading out now too?" the demon with sand colored hair inquired casually, the customary suit and tie being black which made him look rather sharp for a diplomat. His eyes were open to reveal two yellow eyes surrounded by black sclera. Two gray horns in a zig-zag pattern and three black stripes on them jutted out of his head. Footfalls from his oxfords sounded his approach towards Glasses.

"Indeed, Mr. Sullivan, I'm already on my way out," the young demonic man responded in a normal tone of voice contrasting slightly with the upbeat cheer of his boss'. As the report handed over to him was still in his grasp from when he received it, Glasses thought about a minor choice he could make. The decision really was relatively miniscule compared to anything the Gentleman Devil had in mind, and it would most likely have no effect on what became of this matter. What happened would've been another machination of his father's, a plot concocted with great, elaborate detail to ensure some kind of benefit was achieved. Considering the nature of this matter, Glasses assumed it had to do with the military and using it to fulfill the accomplishment in whatever way by whatever means utilized. "Take a look at this if you will," he made his choice, handing it over; letting his superior take a look at it was a small aspect, nothing too significant to change anything.

"What's this?" Sullivan asked rhetorically and began to flip through the pages, scanning a lot of the content in just a few mere moments. He might've been something of a crybaby who only wanted to make his daughter happy, though Sullivan was one of the best professionals in this field due to his expertise with both national and international affairs. Typically Yagi was the one who'd travel abroad, though Sullivan had his own fair share of foreign excursions on diplomatic business in addition to how he maintained firm control over issues in the Devil's Kingdom. Upon finishing, he shut his eyes and sighed somberly since he knew exactly what this meant. "Oh boy, Satanick's up to something yet again. He's got plans for the army; that much is for sure regarding this." There was no doubt about that, though he was also a subordinate of Yagi which meant another detail was brought out into the fold. "Even Yagi's involved since I heard he too received a raise in his pay."

"My thoughts exactly, Mr. Sullivan," Glasses concurred with his boss about these notions.

"Nothing less important employees like us would be involved in…" the other demon mused once more, the situation depressing him because it meant he couldn't effectively pay for whatever gifts he mailed to his daughter. Although Sullivan already had the house she resided in away from town just on the outskirts of this region in a forest not too far away paid for, he doted on her as he was a good father. Not that Kurotsuno trusted him—she actually considered him a useless pest she didn't want around—though she still had her uses for him like getting OCHO chocolate for her as she loved it. The mortgage was no longer an issue for her even though she still paid taxes by herself with help from Hanten and Met as those two were her housemates besides Reina and Bis. Glasses half wondered how that affected relations between Sullivan and Hanten's father, Gyakuten, though let that matter drop; it wasn't his business. Instead, he continued listening to the former's depressed whining. "What I wouldn't give for a better job and a higher salary…Olivia deserves better to live a good life and I really do need to buy her those new shoes I heard she wanted to purchase."

"You shouldn't say such things, Mr. Sullivan," the other demon instructed him in a chiding, yet gentle voice out of minor concern for his boss. "You'll be perceived as ungrateful for your job which my father gave you in exchange for your service. He also allowed the price and taxes on her home to drop to a level she can pay as incentive for you to do well on duty in this department."

"I know, but I still can't help but hope for the best," his superior commented as they exited the department and began sauntering through the hall together. "By the way, Glasses, speaking of family matters, how're your parents doing? I've seen little of Satanick himself lately, and the same goes for your mother. Are they busy with their own affairs, doing whatever it is they do personally or professionally?" Turning his head to look at the other's reaction, Sullivan watched Glasses place a bent finger on his chin as he considered the question and pondered how to answer it for his boss.

"I do believe my father is currently in the middle of entertaining CEOs of enterprises from across the Devil's Kingdom. Last I heard about that was just this morning when I overheard some of the maids and butlers referring to limousines that pulled up into the parking lot for aristocrats."

"What about?" Sullivan asked as Glasses merely shrugged in response since he was unsure.

"I don't know, I don't care; I just do my job accordingly as should you, Mr. Sullivan. With regards to my mother, I haven't seen her around at all either like you. Of course, knowing her, she has probably disappeared elsewhere for however long she wants to be away. Father's unable to be in control of that aspect of hers from what I know, and he doesn't care so long as she doesn't make attempts to go against any restrictive rules he set in place for what she can and can't do and where she can and can't go," the young man responded uncaringly when a butler from around the corner showed up to speak with him, holding a hand up to show he wished to address the Devil's son.

"Pardon me, Mr. Glasses, but Mr. Mors has just arrived on business and wishes to see you."

"Ah, good, I trust he is waiting over in my personal quarters. That's good, thank you. I will head off at once to see him right away. You may return to your duties, Greckovf," he replied while turning to address Sullivan. "I shall see you tomorrow at the ten o' clock meeting on discussing an ideal strategy pertaining to tariffs on goods from the Tosatsu Kingdom and how it shall affect our relations with them, Mr. Sullivan. Take good care of yourself and do hurry home safely, sir."

"Thanks, you too, Glasses," Sullivan remarked and waved as he headed to the front gate as Glasses continued on his way throughout the halls of this castle. There were two in the underworld: one for the military leaders and other various faculty members on his father's staff, and another to house him and his parents with some departments Satanick's staff held dominance over. Although there were quarters in wings like the lavish wings they called home for guests, the two castles were not that far away from one another. His father's faculty could've very well let them stay in quarters here, but the establishments were reserved for foreign emissaries and Her Majesty if she came. An important need to keep those quarters empty, though one not too offensive as the other stronghold was equally lavish and grand like this castle. Nobody complained about it as there were no issues.

Eventually reaching the wing where he stayed not too near his parents, Glasses approached a door around the corner of one end and gripped the handle of a door before opening it. Pushing it forward, he crossed the threshold to find two other demons already there. One of them was an Oni with red skin and a beige sweater over a white undershirt, the color of this matching her white hair done up in two long braided twin tails and baggy socks on her feet. She was attired in a dark gray skirt too with a blue bow on her collar and two more at the end of her braided twin tails. Alongside her seated at the dining room table where Glasses could see them through the threshold just on the other side of the large hallway in his quarters was another demon in a suit similar to Sullivan's. A skeletal-like hand hanging on the coat rack next to him as he entered the abode was actually a hat, one that went well with his own skeletal hands, and their guest wore it frequently while out. Horns on his head were dark gray like the Oni's skirt, plus there were six indentations in each of them as well. Shaggy blonde hair drooped down to his neck as he read a newspaper, his dead fish-like eyes glossing over the words as he was sitting in a slouched position which wasn't too bothersome.

"Kiku!" Glasses called out while removing his shoes and setting them next to the door prior to sauntering into the dining room where his girlfriend was setting the table for them. "I'm home!"

The Oni smiled and shut her eyes, happy to see her lover home after a long day of work. It was nice of her to wait for him so they could eat together, and from the looks of it the Devil's son could guess Mors hadn't eaten as well. "Oh, welcome home, Glasses, it's good that you're back!" Having finished with this minor chore, she stepped over to where the other demon besides the two of them claimed a seat at the circular table. Mors' chair was across from the one Glasses would've sat in if Kiku didn't take that one. "Please, take a seat wherever you'd like. Mors just arrived some time ago and he'll be joining us for dinner if that would be acceptable to you," she then remarked.

"I'm well aware, Greckovf gave me the message; it's perfectly alright," Glasses responded as she returned to the kitchen through shuttered doors styled like those located in a saloon. Taking the chair across from Mors as his seat, he directed a rare small smile towards their guest as he then began to address Mors. "Good to see you, Mors. Here on business for your mother? You've had a pleasant trip here, I take it?" he inquired to make small talk as Kiku got dinner ready for them. Taking a whiff of it, Glasses correctly presumed she put a chicken into the oven with side dishes.

Mors looked up from the paper and put it aside, a rare smile of his own spreading across a part of his face. He and Glasses were very good friends, so he liked the pleasant conversations they shared together. Kiku got involved as well since they didn't mind and Glasses allowed her to have autonomy unlike other women in this world with Killie being the lone exception. "Indeed, the trip was uneventful, but calm. I experienced no issues arriving here on time as I expected to, and you're quite correct that it is to discuss business. I believe our meeting is scheduled for tomorrow, right?"

Glasses nodded affirmatively. "Precisely, at two-o'clock in the afternoon."

"Excellent, I have ensured everything is prepared for the meeting."

"Good. If I may ask, how are your parents doing, Mors? Are they well too?"

"Certainly," the other demonic young man replied amicably. Miss Devil is busy with work on her own end, though nothing too serious as it's nearing a holiday in the Shadowed Sanctuary. I also know my other mother and Rane are out on a tour of the underworlds in search of fine items. They're looking to expand on their stock, you see, hence why they're looking for seamstresses like them." Mors finished his answer just as Kiku came back in with dinner—chicken covered in gravy with a side of sweet potato fries and bacon. "What about your father, Glasses? Is he planning some political scheme like always to ensure his treasury and grip on power are completely set for him?"

"Who knows, I hardly associate with him anyway," Glasses responded honestly, aware that Mors wasn't offended by his bland tone as the son of Reficul and Sin also disliked Satanick. "I've no idea where my mother is if you're wondering about her; she's been absent for a while, yet that's just the norm with her. She can't sit still for lengthy periods of time just since she's also a nuisance. Even so, I imagine she's probably causing trouble for somebody else around here or elsewhere."

"That being said, there's something I wish to draw your attention to," Mors commented as he began to address that matter. "A miniscule topic, really, though one that pertains to her. Before my departure for the Devil's Kingdom, Miss Devil received a call from your mother asking if she could've been given a place to stay for a while. I don't know why, exactly, hence why I'm asking if she is also conducting business if possible in the event Mr. Satanick can't spare any of his men. Do you believe this is the case, or is there another reason for her inquiry? You needn't answer due to it being a minor subject, albeit one that is quite personal to you, but consider it food for thought."

Glasses blinked as Kiku dished the food out. "Probably another conflict with my father."

"Miss Devil didn't elaborate other than a remark that Lil couldn't stay," Mors elaborated.

"I accidently overheard the subject of that fight by mistake, actually," Kiku spoke up while she was dishing food. "Apparently Ms. Lil sought to acquire some power so she could acquire a decent position in a governmental role to try helping maintain this hell. However, it was denied by Mr. Satanick under the pretense that has always shaped the Devil's Kingdom, that being the norm of women not being allowed to have any power for themselves whatsoever in any case or position."

"I let you have power, Kiku," her boyfriend defended her from that notion. "You aren't in any way constricted by the limits the government's set in notion, though I do appreciate your help and support nonetheless. You're more than welcome to share power with me even if you're not in a position to really do much of anything." That may have come across as a blunt statement, though it was true nonetheless because of the way civilization was in this underworld. Glasses didn't mean anything by it and Kiku certainly knew that despite preferring this lifestyle as she truly loved him. Next he turned to address Mors again. "Mors, my apologies for any trouble my mother caused."

"Not at all, it's fine," Mors said. "She's not there as I just stated, but she could be in another underworld. Why not make calls if you happen to be curious about her whereabouts, Glasses?"

"Mm," Glasses murmured, sipping some wine Kiku poured for him. "Perhaps; nevertheless in any case, I do hope she isn't causing trouble wherever she is and whoever she might be with."

…

 **A sort of filler chapter for now so Lil could be introduced to more characters and also explain more concepts regarding the Devil's Kingdom, but I also wanted to delve into a bit of what's currently going on in the Devil's Kingdom in her absence. I'll get to more exciting stuff in the next chapter when I write that quest to the Zeiss Orrery, so look forward to it as it'll be about this fight against the Nandi Bears and however many Wights I incorporate.**

 **As for Wights being able to wield weapons and magic in my non-canon stories, I have been inspired by the Bonewalkers and Wights in Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones when this idea was taken into consideration. Those enemies didn't wield magic, but in my story they've got some magical abilities depending on what styles of combat they specialized in when alive. I'm not going to include the Bonewalkers in my stories as they're specific to that game; even so, I'll include a disclaimer for it anyway because the idea was still inspired by this game.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Fire Emblem series as it is owned by Intelligent Systems and Nintendo SPD as well.**


	5. Chapter Five: The Zeiss Orrery

She patted the leather armguards around her arms to ensure they were snug on her and then adjusted the straps to ensure they fit comfortably. Sitting down to address the greaves next as well as the boots, the young angel smiled softly after finding everything was in check. Brushing several locks of hair from her eyes and standing up to look at herself in the mirror, Macarona saw how the armor she decked herself in was looking alright. In place of the helmet was a mask hanging down from a strap around her neck which would be pulled up once in battle. The mask would not cover her entire face since she still needed to see, though at least it covered her nose and mouth as well. It was an ordinary piece of cloth with a diamond pattern on it, the same design on the armor; her cuirass was a deep shade of green and chainmail was mixed in to protect her torso against attacks directed towards that area of her body. The remaining pieces weren't equipped with chainmail as she required lighter weight on them to perform attacks against her foes. They were the same color with a few red stripes travelling down both armguards, the crested insignia of two palms on the sides just by where her shoulders were. On the back was the Gray Garden's crest, a Venn diagram with white and black on the sides and gray in the center to show how both sides came together.

Turning around to pick up the receipt, Macarona checked it over for any mistakes that may have been computed by mistake when the clerk rang it up and was eventually satisfied no mistakes were found. She was only renting this armor instead of purchasing it because buying the armor set was more expensive than having it loaned to her. Seasoned adventurers and hunters usually bought it if they planned on making more use out of armor and any weapons they utilized too, though she wasn't one of them which was why she chose the cheaper option of renting armor. Plus she didn't use weapons and didn't go on adventures or hunts too often when doing quests because even simple odd jobs like helping somebody go grocery shopping were taken by her and her friends more often. Her strength resided in the martial arts she knew and her abilities as a grappler, making Macarona a melee fighter with a preference for hand to hand combat rather than with weapons. Weapons did a lot more damage, but they hurt more than being struck by a fist or a kick in most cases. Even so, her martial arts got her out of a lot of sticky situations before in a variety of scenarios, the invasion Ivlis undertook against the Gray Garden being a good example of her prowess in action. What she knew was sufficient enough to get her by in battle, and she had no real need of improving for now.

With the armor over her normal attire and the cap she usually wore placed back on her head until it would need to be placed into the small knapsack that came with the armor, Macarona exited the stall inside the fitting and headed out into the main part of the sporting goods store. Seeing Lil seated nearby reading a magazine displaying different kinds of bows and crossbows for archers as well as arbalests, the angelic girl sauntered over to her and held her arms out to show the demonic lady her armor. "Here I am. What do you think?" she inquired, asking for Lil's opinion of the set. It was the same kind of armor she normally wore when renting it, though wanted to hear what the demon thought since this was her first time seeing her young angelic friend decked out in armor.

Looking up from the magazine with a smile as she stood up to approach the angel, Lil took a good look at Macarona and observed her turning around to feature the armor. "Wow, that's quite an impressive set of armor you've got on, Macarona! It looks absolutely amazing and so cool! It's just perfect on you!" the demon complimented her on the appearance, ambling around Macarona's form for further analysis of how she looked. "Where's the gauntlets? Do you have them with you?"

"In the knapsack," Macarona responded, her hand reaching into the pouch at her waist and pulling out the gauntlets to put them on too. Freely maneuvering her fingers about to test how snug they were in the gauntlets, the young angel could tell they were a comfortable fit too like the entire rest of the set itself. She pulled up her mask to show Lil and shut her eyes with a smile on her face when the demon gave two thumbs up on the display—not that the lady saw her smile, but she still knew Macarona was smiling until the angel frowned somewhat upon noticing that Lil didn't have armor either. "Where's your armor, Lil? Don't you need a set to protect yourself too?" she asked.

"Don't need it," Lil responded and raised an arm. With a snap of her fingers, her appearance changed instantaneously to that of many bats. Both her body and dress along with the rest of Lil's attire had turned into a complete flock of bats that flapped their wings while they flew in place. A group of other customers and clerks around them all heard the sound as they turned to see the bats. Although some patrons got behind a few employees who each picked up a weapon to defend them, some other employees who saw Lil transform quickly reassured them she turned into the bats. As they and Macarona kept watching, the bats split up and multiplied together to form three separate groups that still flew in place, but in separate spots. Following this little show of a couple abilities she knew, Lil next turned into mist that was also formed in three separate groups before conjoining together and splitting apart again. For her next trick which she had up her sleeve to impress the angelic girl and others, she resumed her normal appearance once more. This time, instead of one Lil, there were three standing next to one another. "What do you think, Macarona? Impressive, eh?" the three copies all inquired, amused by how she put up something of an interesting show for her friend and everyone else around the two of them when other customers came around to watch.

"Whoa, that's amazing, Lil!" Macarona exclaimed in awe, watching her friend change into a few groups of bats once more that reunited while some of the bats merged their bodies together. "You must know a lot of neat evasive tricks you could apply in the thick of combat to get away if need be. Are those skills also employed to attack opponents when fighting against them, or do you know some magic too?" To her it made sense for Lil to know some magical abilities and utilize an assortment of spells however many within her arsenal, hence why she put forth that inquiry to her.

"Plenty," Lil demonstrated by holding the palm of her hand up to produce a small orb that consisted of dark matter comprised of shadows from all around them. Closing her hand into a fist, letting the orb float above it, she reopened the index finger and pressed it against the ball. Raising the other hand to swirl the energy around like a basketball, allowing it to expand before raising the hand above the ball, her fingers outstretched around the top. The dark matter began to slowly split into two halves, each of which were held firmly in place by magical energy that extended from her hands. Holding both up with the energy facing the ceiling, the two pieces then split apart yet again to create five shards that looked like sparks of flames that danced and swirled on her fingers. Even though that was the appearance given off, these did not produce any smoke or actually burned, the benefit of this being an avoidance of activating the sprinkler system. These flames were like some kind of reminder for Macarona about the fires at the bottom of GriRea's dress, so perhaps the same effect was present in this spell Lil used. It certainly seemed that way as they turned into skulls, but not real ones since they were formed by black magic that morphed the shadows into skull-like bits.

"Cool! Did you learn that spell while growing up?" Macarona inquired out of curiosity.

"Nah, I learned it from Chlomaki, our underworld's witch; she's known as the Pitch Witch to some folk since she wears mostly black, but otherwise her official title is the Witch of Shadows," the demon answered briefly while cancelling the spell to regain the magical energy she used when producing it. Sidetracked by a round of applause from the other individuals around them, Lil could not help but blush and hold her arm out as she twirled around with a few bows. "Thank you, thank you all for being such a great audience!" she remarked and giggled in delight since she was rather excited to have drawn a small crowd with her abilities. Evidently she liked the spotlight it seemed, though the demonic lady averted her attention back to Macarona when the brief show was over. "I had her as one of my tutors since my dipshit husband believed it would've made for a better show of displaying me as a symbol of his wealth by having me learn some magic from her. Chlomaki's quite a strong witch for someone who once served Fumus as an angel, and she's got plenty of good familiars from all around the various worlds. I thoroughly enjoyed learning magic from her, but it was supposed to be a secret in the Devil's Kingdom as women are forbidden from having power."

"Huh, so Miss Chlomaki's a secret agent of your husband's? Is that why she's allowed for some exemptions from your society's norms and mors?" the young angel inquired, wondering if a second female managed to surpass the restrictions against women. "She must be quite invaluable."

"Yeah, she holds an office as the Court Witch; however, her presence in the position is not advertised throughout the entire hell because she's a girl. That's why my dipshit husband put some other individual into the position to make the guy his Court Mage. The Court Mage knows how to do some magic, if not everything Chlomaki knows. Very few know she's really the stronger of the two, but Chlomaki's content with staying covert so long as she gets a cut of the rewards and profits the Court Mage gets. Her salary might not be as high as his, though she doesn't care all that much."

"In other words, Satanick must rely on a witch like other Devils and demons in underworld civilizations because witches are crucial in some way depending on what the respective hells could be like," Macarona deduced from Lil's explanation. "Ergo, witches must listen to them, right?"

"Sure, witches are quite neutral, you see," the demonic lady went on. "They serve purposes much like that of what Chlomaki does, though there could be subtle differences depending on who they serve, what their vocation is, the state of the underworld in which they live, amongst a series of other factors that may or may not make much of an impact on how witches function in societies."

"Kind of like Hanahata in the Flower World and Miss Chlomaki in the Devil's Kingdom," the angelic girl inferred while they started walking towards one of the counters where cash registers were with some employees who rang up how much items cost when customers paid for them. She stretched her arms behind her head and kept them there while they got on line. "Our world doesn't have a witch anymore because the last one died in the war back when the Gray Garden wasn't like what it is in this era. Some fellow students at school have been asking about that, though, and Miss Etihw and Mr. Kcalb have both discussed the idea of bringing another witch into our current world when the matter was brought to their attention. I heard they were contacting a world witches reside in to speak with the main leader there—I believe she's referred to as the Great Witch if what Rane told me once last year comes to mind. Would you happen to know who she might be?" she asked.

"That would be Daimajo, the Great Witch, alright," Lil replied. "She's the strongest witch."

"Have you ever met her by chance?"

The demon shook her head. "Nope, I've only heard of her from Chlomaki at times."

"Ah, okay; I wonder what she's like. Perhaps I'll probably meet her someday," the angelic girl mused casually and checked her wristwatch after pulling it out of the knapsack. The time was close to four o' clock, about ten minutes until it reached the point. For a short while after the two of them visited The Auburn Tulip to see Macarona's other three friends, the angelic-demonic duo spent time at Clarabella's Museum of Arts and Crafts. While there, they met with Xerxes and the angel introduced her demonic friend to him prior to the discussion for establishing a venue to sign books and answer questions. Afterwards, the young angel strolled around the place with Lil, giving her a personal tour of the exhibits both in the main galleries along with those down in the basement where future exhibits were currently being made and prepared as old ones were stored there. It had taken up a chunk of the afternoon, though now the evening was free, meaning it was time for their short, adventurous hunt they'd both go on to have some fun doing a quest before it got too dark.

"Man, I can't wait to get out to that orrery to start kicking some ass while taking names all around," Lil murmured excitedly, looking forward to the quest they took up as something to do. "I hope it'll be a lot of fun as my first time going hunting in your world, Macarona. It'll be great."

"Have you done quests like this in other worlds, Lil?" Macarona asked as she took out her wallet to pay for renting the armor when she showed the price tag to the employee which also said it was being loaned to her. "Sounds like you've gone up against a few monsters with the others."

"On a few rare occasions, yes, but game was small and rather uneventful each time. I never took on something as intermediate as this, though I'm quite powerful and it'll be a test of my skills. Nevertheless, I'm quite confident in my abilities since I learned from one of the strongest witches in existence besides being a powerful hybrid demon," the demonic woman responded positively.

"Then I'm positive you'll enjoy this one and have fun," her angelic companion commented while they were exiting the store. On the way out, Macarona quickly took a free map from a booth set up at the entrance to look at the area depicted on the paper. Unfolding it as they walked through Gray Village on their way to the Haunted Woods, her eyes traced the quickest route they could've taken to Zeiss Orrery. Their destination was located in the south-western region of the space, so it was not going to be too hard to reach the place if they travelled on foot and passed Crona's house where they could greet Flavio and find a shortcut so they would not have had to go by the entrance route. Of course, that was if they managed to get through the trees and other enemies unhindered, though Macarona believed flying was also a valid option. The map's legend indicated a shrine was in between the house and their destination, the Zeiss Orrery. It appeared to be in a small copse that contained a thin stream, so that was going to be their landmark for when the two of them travelled there to complete the quest. "Looks like we've got something of a shortcut we could make use of."

"Where?" Lil asked as Macarona showed her the map, smiling as the angel outlined where it was for her with a finger and pointed out the shrine too. "That's just past somebody's property."

The angel nodded. "Indeed, Crona's house. That's where she lives with her uncle. He's the caretaker and gravedigger of the village cemetery. It's quite a huge space with lots of tombstones."

"Oh, he might be on duty, so he can't really welcome us and point us to our destination."

"Perhaps, though I could introduce you to him if we spot him en route," Macarona offered as she led Lil through the village towards the cemetery gate. She hadn't been here in a year, so the young angel was reminded of the time when she had during the Project Dynol Peiriant conspiracy. Recalling how she'd been searching for tombstones of the four angels whom the animatronics had been based on until Crona met up with her, Macarona mentally traced the path she took then. With the route planned out, she and Lil strolled through the cemetery after crossing through the gate and saw some other villagers there visiting graves of their relatives. A few were simply walking among the tombstones as a means of remembering the past, how the war between angels and demons cost a lot of lives—too many in fact. Leaving these people alone to their own devices, they went along on their own path towards the abode Crona and her uncle called home when a familiar voice called out to them from nearby. Turning towards the individual calling them, Macarona smiled and waved to the demons. "Ah, that would be him now with Crona," she remarked, leading her friend over to a mausoleum where Flavio and his niece were in the middle of interring a grave there. "Hey, Crona, Flavio, nice to see you again!" Macarona greeted them amicably and bowed to pay her respects.

The elderly demon chuckled, stepping over to give her a pat on the shoulder until realizing she must've just purchased or rented the armor on her, hence why he stopped. "Ah, Macarona, it's nice to see you too! Why, it's been quite a long time since you last came here. How long—a year?" he uttered while Crona handed him some tools they were using to place the casket into the building.

"A year it has been, Uncle," she commented to him while adjusting her gloves. Rather than get her military uniform dirty from helping him work in the graveyard, Crona was now dressed in similar clothes like those Rawberry had on when they saw the young demon at The Auburn Tulip. "We're not exactly in another time zone or another world," she added, making Flavio laugh at that.

"When you get to be about as old as I am, you start thinking time slows down," he replied, patting her on the back since he could do that to her instead of Macarona because Crona wasn't in armor or a nice dress like the demonic lady in their presence. He turned back to address Macarona. "Anyway, what could we do to help you today, Macarona? Here for a visit, I take it? If so, we are not really available for quite a while since we've got a couple more graves after this to dig. You're more than welcome to stop by the house and wait there for us," he offered, before inquiring about Lil. "And who might your friend be? She's the foreign demon Crona talked about right? Lil, is it?"

The demonic lady smiled, withholding from shaking his hand due to the grime on his glove which prevented him from performing the gesture. Noticing this, he removed it to reveal a slightly dirty hand stained from dirt with bits of grass hanging on it. "Yep, that's right, I'm her alright. You must've heard a lot about me from her—well, at least everything she's told you that we told her," she responded, understanding that Flavio couldn't shake hands due to the grime on both of his.

"Sorry for the filthy hands, I've just been working all day preparing graves and examining the corpses for anything the morticians over at the castle may have missed," he admitted while he apologized. "Not everything could be found by them which is why they ask for a second opinion."

"That being said, our equipment is not as technical or accurate as theirs," Crona added too.

"True, which is why they sometimes come over for a third opinion; or I just send it back," Flavio continued the explanation. "Either way, further analysis is done to reach a conclusion we've found via separate methods of examining the bodies. It's a bunch of technical jargon, so I shall not bore you girls with the more intricate details. Still, the work gets done and the dead get respect."

"Well, we wouldn't want to keep you both from burying them, then," Lil commented while also asking for directions. "We are passing by your home en route to a place called the Zeiss Orrery in the Haunted Woods. You both wouldn't happen to know any shortcuts to the location, correct?"

"Sure, do you have a map?" Crona asked as Macarona got it out.

"We do, and have already planned a route out already, but additional details are welcome," the young angel uttered while the demon stepped over to her and Lil, putting a finger on the map.

"Alright," the other girl replied and narrowed her eyes to scrutinize it, investigating for an alternative route they could've taken. Crona realized they must've planned on going around where the property of her home was by passing through it and decided to focus on the space by the shrine. Catching sight of the spot where Germain's abandoned home was with the lighthouse nearby, she traced her finger along that part and explained her suggestion to them. "Macarona, you recall going to Germain's old abode with me last year, right?" she asked as the angel nodded. "You'll want the path there, then make a right once you reach the locale to travel along the coast. This should be an easier route than going through the woods for the most part. Just head to the shrine and turn left to reach Germain's place after going straight. Then make your right and keep going straight there up until you reach a waterfall where one of the old watchtowers with an abandoned fishery is located. You'll make another right there and you should be able to see the Zeiss Orrery from there, okay?"

"Thanks," Macarona smiled to show her gratitude for the extra directions. "Are there some monsters we might need to clear out or avoid if possible, like Wraiths or Zombies, for instance?"

"Just those wandering around the Haunted Woods if you encounter any," Crona answered. "They shouldn't be too much of an issue if in small packs, though larger hordes might be an issue. I suggest you either flee or hide from them if you want to save time, otherwise you could fight the creatures to test your abilities and gain experience from combating them if necessary to your trek. Fortunately, they rarely leave the areas where their dens are located and they don't exit the woods too often, so you should be safe once you reach Germain's home. Take care on your adventure."

"Thanks, you too," the young angel responded as she and Lil waved goodbye to them prior to leaving. "We should totally get together sometime," Macarona added as she and the demon left.

Crona smiled back at her. "Sure, we could make plans to have you over or meet elsewhere."

"They sure seem quite busy with their work here in the cemetery. How big is it?" Lil asked as they both left the other demons while heading towards their home to bypass the property. Taking a look around this part of it as they walked, she couldn't help but stare at the graveyard in awe due to how big this place appeared to be. "Looks like they might have their work cut out for them."

"Some of the faculty over in Blancblack Castle come by sometimes to help out, though it's usually just them," Macarona replied to answer her inquiry. "Still, they get the job done very well."

"Well, in any case we've got our route all planned out for us thanks to Crona," Lil stated.

"Yep, so now we can head to the Zeiss Orrery without too many issues," Macarona added.

…

It had taken them a little under an hour to reach their destination and the wristwatch struck five into the evening once she checked it after arriving. Standing in front of an old chain link fence, the two of them observed the crumbling, decadent ruins of what was once the Zeiss Orrery. During the war the place was an observatory constructed to spy on the White Heaven. Its establishment as both an instrument of war since various silos that led to volcanic pits were still dotted around here, and also as a simple orrery to gaze at space itself made the building a double edged sword built for conflict and a peaceful pastime. Although the pits were no longer around and the silos showed just the ground beneath them, the Zeiss Orrery was still a dangerous place because of its proximity by several dens in the Haunted Woods inhabited by undead monsters. Caution was a serious matter.

The purposes for which it was constructed were not the only piece of historical significance in this location. Planning for the building was put underway by Herod Zeiss, whom the place was named after. Once a thriving astrologist in the Black Underworld, Herod was recruited into Kcalb's army at some point when the Devil wanted to perform anti-aerial attacks against the angels whom invaded his territories. Besides this usage, the volcanic pits were soon enhanced by magic to shoot up into the White Heaven itself when Kcalb enchanted them for that purpose. The huge telescope, now in disrepair with filth blocking out the sights through it on one end with the other completely damaged, was Herod Zeiss' means of pinpointing counterattacks and assaults since he was also an expert sniper due to experience he garnered from hunting creatures. If he could peer through simple lens in the scope of a sniper rifle for pinpointed precision shots, surely he could've done the same with a telescope like the huge one Macarona and Lil were now looking upon. These volcanic pits, despite being in disuse now because the war had been over for a little over a century, would surely have been many barrels of a location that, metaphorically speaking in an analogical sense, was the strongest, and most dangerous, sniper rifle Herod Zeiss would've used when fighting the angels.

Nonetheless, in spite of his reputation in war, the demonic man was a gifted astrologist due to his contributions to astral observation of different kinds of stars and moons in the old world. His legacy was passed down into the Gray Garden where his works and texts were distributed and also analyzed to better study the sky, space, atmospheric conditions, and weather too since Herod Zeiss also employed meteorologists on his staff while working here. His old workplace and home too as the house he lived in was just near the main building itself where scientists and soldiers worked in cooperation against the Colored Rainbow World's White Heaven may have been decrepit now due to being replaced by a better observatory at Blancblack Castle, though this place still existed. This was a well-known landmark in the Gray Garden now, and lots of adventurers travelled here to see it up close and personal while collecting loot from monsters. As this location was also declared as a dungeon they could explore, the adventurers would enjoy themselves by hunting their quarry and walking among the historical site in awe of what it once was, careful to avoid damaging it further.

"Well, here we are, Lil, the Zeiss Orrery," Macarona commented aloud as they gazed upon the place like any other adventurer who came here before them. "It's seen better days in the past."

"Sure looks like it," the demonic lady remarked in response while they strolled towards the front gate to cross over the threshold onto the property's grounds. "Seems like nobody's been here in ages to fix the place up. The whole building could probably collapse at any moment, killing our quarry, our reward, and us in the process. How is this whole place able to stand up without repair?"

"That would be the magic Miss Etihw and Mr. Kcalb used to preserve historical locations," the young angel replied to answer the question. "They did that to ensure such monuments weren't lost to time and wouldn't fall by crumbling into debris." Glancing around at various other buildings on the property, Macarona could make out a few barracks for the soldiers and scientists who lived on these premises. In addition were smaller structures including generator stations that stored some power while supplying the rest to the Zeiss Orrery and other buildings such as storage warehouses for weapons and armor used by the troops in Kcalb's military. Although some of the buildings had collapsed during the war and couldn't be entered, other places like parts of the underground tunnel system used to travel throughout the grounds were still open even though some parts had caved in. "Doesn't look like we're receiving a welcome party from the monsters rumored to be around here."

"I'd have expected a warmer reception with a committee to see us through, but seems like the place is deserted. It's too quiet," Lil commented as they crossed through the threshold. "Almost feels like the place itself is a literal ghost town of sorts one could find in the middle of nowhere."

"It is bordering on the outskirts of the Haunted Woods, and undead inhabitants do show up here from what I've heard at the sporting goods store. Apparently they're drawn to the energy that still resides here which is why their territory in this part of the region has been expanded to include the Zeiss Orrery as part of these woods too. Fortunately, the monsters around these parts aren't too strong as others one might find in the deeper recesses of the Haunted Woods as well as in the caves which dot the entire area," the angel explained further while they approached the establishment as a sudden sound caught their attention. To their ears, it was growling which indicated Nandi Bears were approaching their position. The suspicion was proven correct when two lumbered into sight.

"Well, well, look what finally decided to show their ugly mugs, Macarona," the lady stated to make their situation sound a little more pleasant while they observed the monsters creep around them in a small circle to analyze their prey by sniffing the scents of both the angel and demon. The two live inhabitants waited for their undead prey to strike, keeping a close eye on their movements while examining the beasts themselves. These monsters were just average predators, brown as well as being very big since they were a cross between hyenas and bears with massive frontal shoulders and backs that were arched back towards the ground. Their sharp teeth gritted, growling emerging from their mouths with the saliva dripping from them. "You want to take one while I kill the other one?" Lil suggested as Macarona pulled up the mask and got into a defensive stance before battle.

"Sure, looks like they're about to pounce; I'll take the one on this end," she replied, letting it charge forth towards her. Quick on her feet, Macarona dodged the blow and immediately threw herself at the Nandi Bear to grab hold of it. Unable to handle her weight on one side of it, the beast fell to the ground on top of her while she seized its jaws in both hands and yanked them apart hard to cause a bit of critical damage. Since the Nandi Bear was still breathing, she delivered a few hard kicks to its stomach along with some punches after breaking the forelegs to slaughter this enemy.

Meanwhile Lil had already split into a horde of bats that multiplied around the other Nandi Bear. It snarled at her, confused and angry at the sight of so many bats disorientating it. Although it attempted to lash out at a few, they turned into wisps of misty smoke making the creature choke. The rest of these bats charged the creature, lifting it up high into the air before smashing it directly onto the cold, hard ground face first to dash its brains out upon some sharp rocks. Two more Nandi Bears emerged from one of the tunnels leading underground after hearing the commotion and were soon face to face with the entirety of Lil in this form of herself. Unaware of what was going on as they were late to the conflict, they continued to charge forward while roaring ferociously at them. Luckily Lil had already seized one and used her bats to snap its neck before tossing the beast aside.

Watching the fourth sprinting towards her as she was getting up, Macarona went for a bold maneuver by charging towards it as well while analyzing the distance between herself and the foe. Her arms held back at her sides, she allowed the Nandi Bear to leap up in a futile attempt to pounce on top of her. Fortunately, the young angel purposely kicked her legs forward to slide underneath, grabbing the back legs to make it fall prior to injuring those same legs. Having prevented the beast from effectively standing, she proceeded at once towards its neck and instantly seized the jaws just as it turned to try biting her. Yet Macarona was quicker in her attempt and managed to break both jaws before delivering a harsh punch to the face. The remaining Nandi Bear died from its wounds.

With the four opponents all down, Macarona stepped back from the foe and wiped a bit of sweat from her brow while pulling down the mask to breathe easier. Now that combat was over as they defeated one small collection of Nandi Bears, she took the opportunity to examine herself for any injuries she might've sustained too. Checking her armor to find it was still intact if a bit smelly and filthy from the saliva and grimy fur of their targets, the angel was satisfied knowing that she'd been unscathed. Turning to see Lil resuming her normal form, she smiled at the demonic lady and cocked her head to the side. "Looking good, Lil; glad to see you're unharmed too," she remarked.

"Yep, though a shame about the armor though. The store's going to have a tough time with the cleaning," her friend commented with a smile of her own as she approached the girl to regroup.

"It's quite alright, they've cleaned up worse than this. I remember once seeing what a giant sea-wyvern had done to a fisherman's armor after he dove into the sea to fight it with but a solitary knife and one free hand," Macarona relayed a brief anecdote of a memory from hearing about that while at the sporting goods store once with her other friends. "It was the craziest thing he did from what he said, but at least he survived and slew the creature while enjoying himself all the same."

"Damn, this world sure has some exhilaratingly exciting stuff!" the demon exclaimed while daydreaming how such an event like the matter the angelic girl mentioned would've happened.

"It sure does for a relatively simple world of peace," the young angel replied with a chuckle when the sound of low growling that became a snarling roar towards them caught her attention as she whirled around to face the next Nandi Bear that showed itself to them. They could see it growl and stand in a stance making it appear like the creature was going to flee instead of fight. That was certainly one idea this fifth foe could've implemented, and it certainly did because the Nandi Bear rushed straight into one of the standing barracks that had been attached to the main building. What it was planning was surely something its master—masters if more than one—concocted as a trap.

Lil just smiled, unable to stop herself from taunting it. "Yeah, that's right! Run away!" she yelled after it while attempting to rush in as well. However, she was stopped when Macarona held an arm in front of her to prevent the demon from blindly running into what may have been a trap.

"Hold on, Lil, let's not be too hasty," she explained carefully and stepped over to examine one of the slain Nandi Bears around them. "We need to be careful around these things. They might have prepared ambushes at chokepoints they could utilize to entrap us in their snare. Our best bet's an approach from another direction." Gazing around the area while kneeling down on one leg, she lifted an arm slightly to twirl a finger at the few underground tunnel entrances they could've used. Alternatively, they could've also made an approach from around the back of the buildings to glance into the windows. That way they could see enemy fortifications if any and the positions of all foes. "These tunnels should lead us inside one of the structures. Sneaking in through those would be an easier, and safer, means of passage depending on where they go and if they're not being defended. Either one of these, or a rear approach from behind by checking through the windows and looking for a way in could provide us with very similar results." Taking a deep breath, Macarona managed to pry off a dog collar around the Nandi Bear's neck once she finished brushing locks of hair away from her eyes. The object in question was pretty large, big enough to fit around the creature's neck. It also appeared to have been produced from natural materials made to look like a dog collar for a big dog; of course, Nandi Bears were kind of like dogs in that regard, hence the collars on them.

Wondering why these things even had primitively made dog collars around their necks, she put a bent finger to her chin and tried to think of a possible motive. Macarona knew a Wight might have been responsible for taming them—or more than one Wight since none were seen, but scented on the dog collar recovered by the squad on patrol. Yet she didn't understand why at first until she thought about the scheme of things as they were. Perhaps these Nandi Bears were being bred while trained to fight as guards for their masters. Maybe they were even conditioned to fight against one another, though the angel didn't think that might've been the case because the ones they fought in this clearing served as guards. That notion might've been seen as animal cruelty even though Nandi Bears were more like regular monsters that served undead creatures, so Macarona ruled that out as a possibility despite still accepting it as a logical theory regarding whatever the Nandi Bears were used for. The guards on patrol had only discovered a single piece of evidence: that dog collar; there could've been something more, something that wasn't inferred from the evidence. It was a thought, but Macarona believed there could have been more monsters organizing into a kind of association or group for whatever purpose they had in mind. What it was, she didn't know; what she did know, however, was that they had to be stopped regardless of what went on here at the Zeiss Orrery.

And it also seemed like Lil had the same idea since she too had come over to look at it. She smiled at the young angel when Macarona averted her attention to her after setting the collar down. "You know what I'm thinking, Macarona?" she asked her, apparently arriving at the same concept. "We mosey on in quietly without too much ruckus and investigate the premises for any hostilities."

Considering how well she knew Lil in light of having only met her once before a year ago, Macarona couldn't help but smile because she actually liked where this was going. Though getting too cocky was a bad thing in a situation like this, her friend was a powerful demon and she herself was a powerful angel reincarnated from another strong angel, her ancestor. "And then we fight?"

Lil smiled back, pumping both arms up in the air with her head held high because she was indeed looking forward to that. Her preference was quite obvious even from a mile away. "To kick some ass!" the demonic lady exclaimed, loving the sound of this idea because it meant they'd take stealthy steps to ensure they were placed into a good position where they could reveal themselves. Once they did, their foes wouldn't be safe from their deadly assault. "We'll slaughter them whole! Take no prisoners, just let the things get wrecked!" Hopping in excited joy, Lil hurried over to one of the tunnels and pressed her back up against the entrance's frame, peering down into the darkness before her as Macarona came over and did the same as well. Pulling a flashlight out of her knapsack and turning it on, the young angel flashed it into the tunnel so they could see if any opposition was in their way and also to see where they were going. Taking a quick glance at Lil while pulling her mask up, the two of them nodded and made their descent as the evening sky climbed further up to eventually change into a night sky later on. Thankfully it was still a bright, orange sky with clouds.

The pair silently strode through the passage, avoiding bits of debris and peering into rooms full of old equipment and computers used to analyze data concerning astronomical observations in addition to constituents of coordinates from the White Heaven when the war was still going on. At one point in their trek after having rounded a few corners following some exploration on their part to ensure they wouldn't have been flanked by foes from other parts of the tunnels, they eventually reached another room with computerized technological equipment inside. However, there was yet one more detail they garnered from the display. "Cages…" Macarona whispered softly as she and Lil stepped over the threshold to examine them. The young angel took a short whiff of one to check if the smell of Nandi Bears were on it. "These creatures are definitely being contained in them." It was another clue, an indication that something must've been off about this location because it had implanted the suggestion in her mind that the undead here must've been intelligent. Macarona was fully aware from her studies in school and from teachers and authorities that undead were not really that smart enough to pull off something like this, leading to a theory that something else was here. Although a Wight could've trained Nandi Bears since they were quite capable of doing so, she did know of other undead creatures that could have done it too, those undead being Liches. It was a possibility she couldn't deny, so maybe it was true; then again, it probably wasn't. Macarona may have been overthinking that, but it didn't hurt to take precautions and be careful about this issue.

A sudden noise from the corridor seized their attention as they whirled to face it. Although it didn't startle them, the two of them were at least prepared for the ensuing conflict that was now approaching. From the sound of it, there was only one Nandi Bear coming down. Perhaps it was a routine patrol of the area, or maybe it was coming back to get in a cage. Neither of them heard any other footsteps aside from the ones this creature made, so Lil merely smiled and stealthy sauntered over towards the doorframe and leaned against it. "I've got this, Macarona," she murmured softly, changing into mist and immediately rushing out to engulf the Nandi Bear. Yanking it up while she formed a ball of dark matter similar to what she produced back at the sporting goods store in town, the demon shoved it down the beast's throat and let it choke. Pulling it back into the room, Lil had it held tightly in the grasp of her mist to continue asphyxiating it. Laws of gravity didn't appear to apply to the Nandi Bear even though it was being held by a misty form, though that was due to the fact said mist was actually a powerful demon. The poor creature couldn't even whimper since the sounds from its mouth were completely drowned out by its suffocation which silenced the monster.

Going over to check out the Nandi Bear once Lil let it fall to the floor, Macarona noticed a serious wound on the side of its body. Analyzing the wound in detail by pressing her hands—still protected by the gauntlets so that her hands wouldn't get blood, gore, and other grime on them—against the injury to examine it, the angel found a sizable bite where it was wounded. The size was not like that of other Nandi Bears, thereby meaning it definitely wasn't one of them and eliminating the idea of them fighting against one another. However, that didn't mean this one was harmed due to that when the Nandi Bear Lil just killed probably misbehaved significantly enough on a frequent basis to warrant this punishment. Yet how big the bite actually was demonstrated that it was made by something a lot bigger than another Nandi Bear. "This is a critical wound…" she observed and began checking the rest of its body for any other injuries it may have accrued. "Another beast made it, something larger. No other injuries are on the body, and it looks like it was harmed recently."

"Well, I put the damn thing out of its misery, then," the demon remarked and walked back into the passageway to see if the Nandi Bear left a trail of blood for them to follow. "Its blood has left behind a trail. We should follow it to see where it leads. Maybe it'll take us to whatever caused it harm and the rest of the pack with its masters." Her idea sounded like a rash decision, though an element of caution was still evident in her tone of voice. If they were still careful, they could have seized the upper hand at any moment provided an opportunity to do so presented itself to the pair.

Standing up to join her out in the hall, Macarona dimmed the light of her flashlight so they wouldn't be seen easily because its range and brightness were lowered upon customizing the right settings on it to keep it from giving them and their position away. "Alright, let's carefully proceed," she commented, heading forward with Lil down the tunnel by following the blood. It led them past several turns along the way, a couple of which intersected other passages that couldn't be traveled down because they had collapsed. The ceiling caved in on them, and at one point the floor was not sturdy enough down one corridor they saw as evident by the fact it caved in to produce a long hole filled with debris and parts of old equipment from the facility. Both the angel and demon remained quiet in their search as they traversed the darkened tunnels which definitely smelled. They smelled the scent of musk, dirt, mold, and foliage which was growing on the walls around them with several mushrooms developing on both the walls and floor. Fortunately, they also caught the scent of their quarry, the Nandi Bears plaguing the tunnel as well, and it was getting stronger as they advanced.

"Damn, it smells down here…" Lil murmured softly since she couldn't stay silent about it. The smell was just a bit overpowering for her, but not too bad that it didn't affect her. She merely kept her nose and mouth covered with both hands which helped muffle her speech. "It's so foul…"

"Would you like to use a mask, Lil?" the angel beside her inquired politely. She brought a second mask with her from the sporting goods store since two came with the armor, and the spare was in the pouch. "I've got another one if you want to use it." Taking it out, she gave it to her and helped Lil strap it around her neck so the demon could wear it over the lower half of her face. "The eyes might still tear up if it gets worse," Macarona uttered the only concern with the masks. "We'd be better equipped to handle that if I had asked for masks that protected the eyes too so they would be okay." There was truth in that admittance since she really didn't expect the scent to be too bad.

"Ah, it's fine, Macarona," Lil politely waved the concern aside. "It's part of the adventure."

"Even the unpleasant aspects make it worthwhile," Macarona smiled, on the same page as her demonic friend. After all, it truly wouldn't have been an adventure without hardships and strife.

"Exactly, that's the idea!" Lil replied, delighted her angelic friend understood that concept and embraced it wholeheartedly as acceptance. "What fun is an adventure if it's too easy for us?"

Macarona chuckled, liking the idea of challenge in their quest. It made the adventure itself more exciting and exhilarating, adding a sense of difficulty which provided them with experience. That experience was quite invaluable; and the greater the challenge, the more insightful and better experienced they became when handling such issues on their quest. This was a fundamental lesson all adventurers and travelers learned on their own journeys, and it stuck with them forever in their lives as they undertook one adventure and quest after another because it helped shape them as well as their abilities. "Well, what're we waiting for? Let's get to it!" the young angel remarked as they continued traversing the tunnels, encountering no resistance along the way which aided in a sneaky approach. The pair resumed their silent march forward, creeping towards their objective until they finally reached it after climbing a set of stairs at the end of their path which led to their destination.

Quietly emerging in a massive chamber where the telescope was, Macarona and Lil stared in awe at what remained of the massive instrument made decrepit and filthy by age. Foliage already consumed most of the device and technological pieces throughout the room, yet even this actually contributed to a stunning sight. Chalkboards were strewn about the room as with tables lying about all over the floor with desks and bookcases added to the debris around them. Plans, designs, along with details and blueprints of various projects from the past were still displayed somewhat on each of the chalkboards, though these were already in the middle of disappearing due to age. Thankfully such intricate sketches had already been passed down through generations of astronomers, so there was no need to worry about losing this invaluable data. The desks had all been set upright as they were before the Zeiss Orrery fell into disuse and disrepair, leading to the idea that the undead were using them to store miscellaneous items and whatnot. Books were all absent, having been pilfered by individuals who came here to revel in the beauty of this place and its history, seeking souvenirs for themselves and also accounts of history that could've been stored in libraries and museums. It was also a notion applicable to other objects that weren't books or manuscripts, and these too were able to find places in museums too. In fact, there was one such museum in Aicirederf and another in Natoh, a desert town just a few days journey to the north of Gray Village. There were others as well, though Macarona only knew of these two from having been to both museums a few times.

"Wow, this place is so amazing!" Lil commented on the splendor of this building's interior, mainly the observatory in which they both stood. "Look at the size of it! That telescope's so big!"

"It certainly is, though the outer half looks more impressive if you ask me," Macarona said to put forth her opinion of the decrepit device when they saw it before entering the grounds to hunt their quarry. The sight of a chest caught her eye as Lil was walking around to observe the materials still lying around and hanging on the walls despite being unable to really make the blueprints out. Ascending to the platform where the astrologists would've sat to observe the celestial phenomena while astronomers studied other objects in space, the young angel knelt down in front of an ornate, mahogany chest resting next to the seat. Testing the lock, she discovered it was certainly locked.

"That's quite true, Macarona," the demon agreed with her opinion, intrigued by the contrast in how the outside half was significantly larger than the other half which itself was small, yet very complex since the gears and components that functioned, allowing the scientists to view the space beyond the world's atmosphere and sky, were all intricate curiosities in of themselves. As she did not hear a response from the angel, she turned around and saw what her friend was doing with the chest. "Ooh, treasure!" Lil exclaimed in excitement, bounding over to join her companion by it as the angel stood up. "Sweet, they must've gotten their hands on some fabulous loot we can seize!"

"Some of it is theirs since some monsters that do collect things store their belongs in chests like this one," the angelic girl explained for her, believing this was the first time Lil saw a chest in a dungeon such as the one they were in now. "However, all the dungeon chests in this world have been enchanted by Miss Etihw and Mr. Kcalb to generate random loot too which adventurers could claim as their rewards for reaching the end of dungeons after defeating guardians and monsters of said chests. Considering how ornate and embellished this one appears to be, I'd say it's specifically the chest protected by guardians. Regular chests could be found elsewhere throughout dungeons."

"In other words, loot in special chests like this one have better loot than the others in here," Lil concluded, having deduced that from her friend's explanation. "But how did they make chests spawn loot for every chest in every dungeon? Surely they did it individually for each chest, right?"

"Not at all, especially since they're a deity and Devil respectively. The two of them simply combined their powers into one spell and released the magic from Blancblack Castle which spread throughout the Gray Garden. That's how these chests were enchanted to spawn loot as well as also respawn it too after a certain period of time. This one's locked, so I'm guessing the loot is inside."

"Except we need a key for it, and we get it by defeating the guardian, right?"

Macarona nodded to confirm the answer to the demon's question. "Right, and we must find it in order to get the key and unlock the chest." She and Lil could hear noise coming from the other chamber beyond this one and turned towards the only door they hadn't crossed into. "Seems we've located the guardian since guardians don't usually go too far from the chests. Just to let you know, Lil, not every dungeon in this world will have chests until those are summoned by the magic Miss Etihw and Mr. Kcalb use. That occurs once a suitable location has been designated as a dungeon."

"Ah, that's good to know," the demonic lady remarked as they headed towards the door to quietly sneak into the hallway. Entering it, they silently scurried over to a stairwell leading above, just on the next floor. Both of them heard sounds through a nearby doorway on the floor below the one they were on now, though they sought higher ground to better analyze the area. Crossing over the threshold of another door they came upon, the two of them knelt down behind some debris and peered over the railing to find a scene of organized undead below. This room, once a lobby of sorts that branched off into other rooms and corridors, was quite massive. Macarona and Lil saw around a couple dozen Nandi Bears with some Wights wielding blades, axes, maces, and halberds with an assortment of minor novice spells used by Wights with free hands that didn't hold weapons. Along with them was a Lich wielding a pike in one hand and a staff in the other, the latter of which it was using to keep a Lycanthrope under its control. At least it attempted to, though the Lycanthrope was proving rather difficult to handle even with the enchantment being geared to controlling creatures.

As they watched the conflict ensue between the Lich and Lycanthrope with the Lich trying to desperately place it under its control, a few of the Wights relinquished spells they used to grab chains holding their Nandi Bears back. Some Nandi Bears tried to ravage the bigger beast, though were immediately slaughtered because the larger monster swatted them away with powerful lashes of its upper paws, claws unsheathed dealing harsh cuts on the lesser creatures, leaving behind some critical wounds which killed them. During the petty fight, the Lich finally acquired the upper hand and immediately cast a spell over its prey to control it. A single, solitary key dangled from a chain around its neck, tapping against the iron armor while the monster was soon ensnared by darkness that conjured large, curved, bony spikes from within it which trapped the Lycanthrope, sealing it inside so the dark magic could make it a thrall for its master. Within seconds, the spell succeeded.

Calmed by the soothing presence of how successful the spell was, the Wights relaxed their guard. This little gathering of undead accomplished the task of enslaving a Lycanthrope at the poor expense of several Nandi Bears they tamed. Still, it was a worthy cost to them because they had a monster which was stronger than their current beasts. Watching their master's spell retract back in the darkness where it appeared, they then uttered moaning cries of victory in their small endeavor.

"Well, well, those guards mustn't have investigated this little problem as thoroughly as the townsfolk might've wanted them to," Lil whispered to Macarona as she turned her attention to the young angel. "They didn't seem to have done an efficient job searching to exterminate the monsters here. Maybe one they might've found one of those collars on if they encountered one, but not this."

"To be fair, they were probably on a tight schedule," Macarona suggested in their defense, thinking there was a reason why they hadn't taken care of this problem. "Or perhaps they thought it was something fun for adventurers to handle. Either way, I do still agree that it should have been addressed by them further rather than simply returning to town." She smiled at Lil, aware of what her demonic friend was going to suggest as she shut her eyes. "On the bright side, at least we have the opportunity to eliminate them and claim the reward for ourselves when we arrive back. It shall even be a good story to tell the others the next time we see them. Sounds fun, isn't that right, Lil?"

The demon smiled back. "Absolutely! How should we go about getting their attention?"

Macarona peered over the railing to count the number of foes on the ground floor. Making a mental tally of how many were present she turned back to Lil to give her a definitive reply. "The opposition consists of twenty-six monsters in total. Do you think we should wait for them to move into squads as they head out so we won't have to deal with them all at once? Or perhaps we could try to take them on all at once right here?" Her second idea was very cocky and chances of them falling would've been pretty high if they weren't strong enough to deal with this problem. If they were less experienced, the first thought was the better option to choose; yet they certainly did have experience—even if Lil hadn't fully applied what she learned about magic and combat from her tutors in the Devil's Kingdom to actual battles—so they could stand to take risks. Nonetheless, the young angel wanted to know what Lil thought, hence why she asked for her opinion about this.

"On the one hand, we'd take care of each group one at a time; though the others would hear the skirmishes and come after us," Lil responded, knowing her friend took that into consideration as well. "On the flipside, killing them all here could save us time and effort if it's done in one hit."

"One hit, eh?" the angel murmured, slightly confused as to what the demon meant. "We're good at fighting, though I don't think we know any attacks to exterminate all of the beasts at once."

"Trust me, Macarona, I know what I'm doing. We can do this in a single strike and go look for all the other chests that are in this dungeon. Do you happen to know how to do a pirouette?"

The angelic girl nodded. "There were plenty of chests all around the chamber below, and I do indeed know how to perform pirouettes. I'm pretty good at ballet, but why do you ask, Lil?"

"You'll see, just follow my lead," Lil grinned mischievously and giggled prior to standing up to announce their presence to the undead assembly. "HEY, Y'ALL! LET'S LIVEN THE JOINT UP! YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY KILLING US HERE!" she shouted aloud, catching their attention as abruptly as the demonic lady wanted it apparently. Macarona could only laugh, amused by how Lil joked about the present situation to a bunch of undead who hissed at her instead of booing her out. She really was glad to be friends with an energetic lady like her, and was pleasantly surprised when her demonic friend whirled to face her with an inquiry. "Might I have this dance, Macarona?"

Realizing what Lil had in mind as a way to perform the one-hit kill on these undead for an instant victory, Macarona smiled happily and took Lil's right hand in her left one while answering her. "Certainly, it'd be my pleasure," she grinned, putting her right hand on the demon's shoulder while Lil placed her left hand around the angel's waist. Letting her friend take over to float them over to the middle the chamber above their undead foes, Macarona shut her eyes, embracing the feeling of a duel strike the demon wanted to perform by partnering up with her to kill the undead.

"I knew you'd like this!" Lil remarked happily, her feet and also the bottom half of her legs turning into bats beating their wings to ensure their position was perfect. The undead tried to shoot blasts of magic at them with their spells, though the demonic lady simply produced more bats that all reflected any attacks that would've hit them by reversing the direction back towards the undead which either dodged or received minimal damage as their magical resistance was pretty good. With their position in the center now secured, Macarona opened her eyes for a bit as Lil spoke up again to address her. "Just lift one foot in the air and close your eyes to take this in. Leave your arms out at your sides like so, and be sure to contribute some of your energy too. This waltz shall be but the brief maneuver we'll be performing. Just follow my guidance and everything shall be perfect."

"I'm already with you, Lil," Macarona smiled, following the instructions the demonic lady laid out for her by closing her eyes again. She could feel her kinetic energy flowing into the motion of Lil's bats as her friend changed forms at a slow pace this time because they were allowing their combined forces to build up. Dark energy gradually radiated from around her, but Macarona wasn't worried because she knew that energy was Lil as their energy eventually reached its climax. They descended rapidly in an instant, the angel's right foot down with the other up and outwards, pointed right at their foes. Upon gracefully touching the floor, the pair sped around several times while the energy they stored after collecting it all together by contributing it to this attack expanded instantly. Their undead foes and beasts with them were all hacked viciously, yet in a graceful manner because of how prestigiously elegant the attack was, and soon enough all of them were fully slaughtered.

What happened could've been described as carnage, but at least it was still very beautiful.

…

 **Let it never be said that splendor can't be utilized to win a fight in style; and who says war dancing—used by tribal warrior societies in their rituals to display mock combat, but a variety of other reasons in other cultures demonstrate why it's used in various styles—cannot be a valid means of securing victory in combat? I wanted a stunning end to this chapter, and I believe I got it. Granted, it might not be as special as other endings to other chapters as well as stories I've written, though I'm glad to have accomplished this at the end of this chapter.**

 **With regards to things I've mentioned in this chapter, you can look up all of them on Wikipedia, though here's a brief description of each aspect. Arbalests were variations of the normal crossbows, and they were much bigger and had greater tensile strength which made them more effective and stronger than normal crossbows. While archers could use crossbows in addition to bows, I think basing a class entirely around solely wielding crossbows could be an interesting idea. I've done this in Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim by creating a custom class which used a crossbow as the sole primary weapon and named it the Arbalest after the crossbow to allude to it, plus I'm also expanding this idea into my stories as well because it fits into them.**

 **As for Chlomaki's non-canon title of being the Witch of Shadows, I thought she could have an official title because others refer to her as being the Pitch Witch as the canon way to describe her. I'm not sure if Pitch Witch is an official title of hers, hence why I alluded to her with an official title. This new non-canon title was something I thought about even though it could probably be considered a reference to Books of Shadows, manuscripts which are used by Wiccan societies made up of practitioners who wield white magic instead of black magic. Alternatively, the title could also be a reference to the Book of Shadows from Corpse Party: Book of Shadows and the third installment, Blood Drive, both of which continued the bad normal ending from the first game when the five survivors performed the ritual to get out of Heavenly Host Elementary School without appeasing the spirit of Sachiko Shinozaki.**

 **Regarding other elements, I've once again included a reference to A Walk Among the Tombstones, a novel and movie which I've mentioned in Seven Nights at Clarabella's. I also included Wraiths which are basically the Scottish phrase for the word 'ghosts'. Herod is the name used by kings of the Herodian Dynasty of Judaea, a Roman province. Wyverns are like regular dragons, except they have two legs instead of two; Sea Wyverns are similar to regular Wyverns, but they have a fish-like tail replacing the draconic tail. Natoh backwards is Hotan, an oasis town in Xinjiang, a region of western China which has acquired autonomy. The duel strike Lil and Macarona used references similar attacks from Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin and Izuna II: The Unemployed Ninja Returns. As I said, you could look up all of these things on Wikipedia if you're interested in learning more about them and what each aspect is like.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the Corpse Party series; it's owned by Team GrisGris, 5pb, MAGES, and GrindHouse. I don't own the Castlevania series; it's owned by Konami. I don't own the Izuna series; it's owned by Success and Ninja Studio. I don't own A Walk Among the Tombstones; the movie's owned by Scott Frank—the book's owned by Lawrence Block.**


	6. Chapter Six: A Surprise Quest Speaker

Business was still booming early in the evening as shops in town were still open and would be open until later that night when the employees who worked at each of the stores and restaurants would welcome late night faculties they employed to keep their respective establishments on track. This practice was a normal custom throughout the Devil's Kingdom, for it meant huge corporations and enterprises could make more money from demons who kept spending their money well into a large portion of the night. When this system was first implemented centuries ago, the thing was in fact a mess of corporate factions vying for complete control of the businesses with the day to night shifts fighting amongst one another for all full rewards and benefits. Various Devils prior to when Satanick took control managed to fix some of the problems by promising good salaries to those on the night shifts, though the payrolls weren't entirely equal to the day shifts. The Gentleman Devil's mending of that issue to the fullest extent settled the affair once and for all by cutting benefits and rewards into equal shares for all—and by 'all' that only meant men as only they were employed whereas women weren't due to that damn customary norm of men having power instead of them.

Walking through the market district of Zlienderstrom with Kiku and Mors at his side while in search of a good place to stop for dinner after another day of handling amicable negotiations in the Department of International and National Diplomatic Affairs, Glasses glanced up at the signs. Various restaurants were open since it was still around six, each one welcoming aristocrats with a lot of upper middle class men conducting business over dinner. Some women were allowed inside the restaurants, but they couldn't order anything and had to accept what their husbands ordered for them. Such bias was unwelcome to the Devil's son because it certainly should not have been even present in eateries; in his mind, women should've at least been given the opportunity to make their own orders for food instead of just accepting whatever their spouses had them eat. It was a primary example of just how far the norm against women went, and—no pun intended—was in poor taste.

Choosing a place to eat out from among these choices wasn't an option for him, hence why he was leading them to place the three of them frequented instead of making decisions in favor of the restaurants. Turning the corner at an establishment where the printing press was used to create different kinds of cards, newspapers, ledgers, and whatnot, they eventually found themselves on a street taking them exactly to the place they wanted. Among the populace were many other demons the trio was familiar with, though their business wasn't with them and the other demons were busy with their own affairs at the time. Not bothering to interrupt them because it was rude, Glasses and his entourage passed by them wordlessly on their way to a pub they preferred to go to for lunch or dinner out. The choice was questionable to others as the man in charge was supposed to follow the same customary norm in his business, but didn't since he knew more money could be made from women who also enjoyed frequenting his place. It was why Satanick allowed him to run the tavern so long as the proprietor turned over the cash women paid to him in exchange for running the bar, a sneaky loophole that helped fill his coffers with the money men earned that their wives wasted.

Arriving at the door to Maekami's Bar, Glasses opened the door and let Kiku and Mors go in first before he too crossed the threshold. Inside the place was quite lively since numerous other demons were present at various tables. The crowd included not only adults, but students who were enrolled in the local high school since they were old enough to drink. Again, they recognized some of the other patrons, but left them alone to their own business. The publican, a man with short hair colored white like his formal shirt and the tape on both his tail and left horn which contrasted with the black suit he wore too that went well with the color of his horns, was an old associate of Glasses to some extent. Wearing a sheet of gray paper with black tape on it over his face, Maekami wasn't an average bartender if the paper portrayed him as a man with peculiar oddities. Glasses once knew him back when the publican used to be one of the three assassins guarding Lil alongside Daimonji and Anten. The trio had been hired to ensure she didn't cause any trouble and were ordered to kill her if she became too much of a nuisance; sadly for them, Satanick's wife was just way too elusive, hence why they were reassigned to other duties until the Gentleman Devil acquired better assassins to handle the work. Sometime afterwards, Maekami retired from his work and got this job instead.

Catching sight of the former assassin serving up pepperoni pizza with a side of salads along with some garlic bread and beers to a few high school students nearby, Glasses raised an arm as a gesture to catch the older demon's attention when he was done serving them. "Maekami! We have arrived!" he called out to him while one of the waiters under Maekami escorted them to a table so the trio could claim their seats. Noticing Kiku was getting out her wallet to pay for their meals all by herself, the Devil's son reached an arm to gently bat her wallet down so she wouldn't lose cash. "I'll cover your meal too, and I believe you're paying for yours as well, right, Mors?" he stated.

"I shall be, yes," the son of Reficul and Sin responded while picking up a menu to see what he could order from it as Glasses and Kiku did the same, placing it down when Maekami arrived.

"My, my, a warm welcome to the three of you. I didn't expect to see you all here so early," the publican commented amicably to them. "Usually it's just the two of you showing up sometimes later in the night." This second remark was directed towards Glasses and Kiku because they clearly did come on occasions when they felt like going out to eat after long days of work. Well, when the former of them felt like it, with the Oni simply tagging along after her boyfriend. The two of them were usually latecomers to the establishment when most customers left then. "And you, Mr. Mors, are a rare sight in my bar on the occasions you arrive to do business in this underworld. I suspect your visitation to the Devil's Kingdom yet again falls under that very reason if I'm correct on that."

Mors nodded. "It does indeed, and it is nice to see you too, Maekami. Tell me, how is your specialty dinner tonight? I would like to place my order for it if the meal tastes fine and is alright."

"Certainly, the food was recently awarded a first place prize for being one of the best meals throughout the Devil's Kingdom. You all should try it, it'll be an excellent dinner for you three."

"In that case, we'll order three sets of it," Kiku uttered while Glasses nodded his approval.

"Yes, I'll have it too," he stated while looking up at the older demon. "How's business for you going? I imagine you're receiving a good revenue from all the customers you get each day."

"Splendid as always, Mr. Glasses," Maekami answered him with a smile under his papery mask. "You and Miss Kiku have always been two of my best customers, and many of the numerous other patrons who have shown up tonight can be included in that as well. A shame I must split the revenue with Mr. Satanick since I need to afford to pay my employees good salaries, though there haven't been too many problems with that and none of us are complaining about that too much. It is not too big of an issue to really care about all that much to tell the truth, though it must be said."

"Seems like everybody's complaining about my father's policies these days," Glasses said.

"Oh? Has somebody else expressed their discontent with Mr. Satanick's laws?" came quite the accusatory question from the publican when he heard the young man make that comment. "Not all that surprising since women usually make the complaints if they even bother to, let alone a man citing issues with the legislation and how your father is running the underworld. May I ask who is the one putting forth a problem with the regime? Surely somebody not too important to the reign?"

"Mr. Sullivan was simply expressing disappointment when we learned the payroll for many employees in the Department of International and National Diplomatic Affairs was slightly docked to increase the salaries of military leaders," Glasses responded somewhat critically, though he was not angry with Maekami because this older demon was just curious even if his questions made that accusation against an individual—that individual being Sullivan as Glasses said. "And I'd like you to not bring that up in public," he added, making sure the pitch of his voice was still very low since he didn't want his superior getting caught. He had some respect for Sullivan, but also knew that if he was purged from the Devil's Kingdom via death, he himself would probably be promoted to an office that would place him directly under Yagi. Glasses didn't want that because to him it showed his father mistrusted him enough to spy on him—not that he cared; he lived in the same castle even though he really didn't want the impression of his father to be an unwelcome burden to him. There was also the concern of Kurotsuno's well-being because any punishment her father accrued might have also affected her and whether she could live in charge of a household. One of her housemates could've taken over for her to let her stay, but that was if she was even allowed to stay there at all.

"Of course, as you wish, Mr. Glasses," Maekami bowed in respect, choosing to fulfill that command because Kurotsuno was another good customer of his. He too was concerned about her, and Sullivan's wailing about how she hated him despite the care and love he showered her with at least eleven times per week made him feel bad for the poor guy. Keeping mum on this matter was of good aid to Sullivan since he'd be out of trouble and could continue trying to please his daughter. "If you'll excuse me, I have to see to it that more orders are fulfilled. Yours shall be ready shortly," he uttered prior to hurrying away towards other customers who also wanted to make their orders.

"Well, looks like we'll be waiting a bit for the food," Kiku observed casually while looking around the tavern at the other customers. There sure were a lot this evening; the place was packed. "I think I could even see Mr. Sullivan's daughter with her friends just over there," she added upon seeing a group of girls who appeared to be Kurotsuno with Hanten, Met, Reina, and Bis. From the appearance of it, Bis may have been whining about how she was always losing Othello against her usual opponent, Reina while angrily cursing at Met for constantly calling her a dog. She was mad at Reina too for insulting her. Kiku couldn't make out exactly what they were saying, but Glasses simply waved her concern aside since it wasn't their business to pry into the affairs of others when they were busy. He didn't have to say anything, but merely looked at her which gave her the idea. With a smile directed at her boyfriend, the Oni shut her eyes and cocked her head to the side. "My apologies, I didn't mean to say anything that would've interrupted those girls and their matters."

"An unnecessary apology since we haven't gone over to them," Mors stated a technicality, one that wasn't offensive to either Kiku or Glasses because they knew him well enough to know a habit of his was putting forth such technicalities. "That being said, there was a minor curiosity I've been wondering about. Would she happen to be a relative of Her Majesty's Steward, Sibuna?"

"I believe she's his niece, yes," Glasses replied when a sudden shadow fell over their table. Looking up at their rude intruder, he scowled in discontent and sighed since he was hoping they'd have a peaceful dinner without being disturbed by his father. "What do you want, _Father_?" he put forth the inquiry somewhat venomously, not caring about how he directed his disgust towards the Gentleman Devil as Satanick sat down besides Mors in their booth. "You weren't invited here."

"Come now, my son, no need to take offense," his father replied in a smooth tone of voice. "I saw you in the crowd before and sought to have a simple conversation with you, that's all. Why so against my arrival when I've only just shown up? Please, humor your father and entertain me a little with a simple chat." His request sounded simple enough, though his son figured there had to be more to that than met the eye. Glasses clenched his hand into a fist, feeling an urge to get angry with Satanick for disrupting their dinner before it even began. Thankfully Kiku placed a hand upon it to prevent him from doing something that could've risked his life in an unwinnable situation. "I see Reficul's son has opted to partake in the visit as well," Satanick went on, averting his eyes for a split second to view the younger demon beside him for a moment before directing them right on his son once more. "I do hope his business with you is going rather well. Although—and not to be offensive and rude towards him, which I am not going to be for it is not my intention even though I do apologize sincerely for it if my dialogue comes across as such—I do have to ask: why are you not upset with him for partaking in a meal between you and your future spouse? Was he invited?"

"My relationship with Kiku is none of your concern or business, Father," Glasses retorted, maintaining a cool tone of voice in light of his seething irritation with the Gentleman Devil. "And we did indeed invite Mors to join us, whereas you were not. If you are going to bother us, say your piece and be done with it. We wish to have a pleasant dinner without distractions and annoyances."

Satanick wasn't perturbed by his son's discontent with him. He merely kept that whimsical smile, that smug smirk of his, spread across his face. While he would've exchanged at least a few pleasantries with Glasses, Kiku, and Mors, he knew he wasn't welcome in their presence. Avoiding the beating around the bush maneuvers of everyday conversation which even aristocrats including himself enjoyed so often, the Gentleman Devil decided to get right to the point immediately since he didn't want to upset his business partner—that individual being Maekami. That would've been bad for business as it could've harmed their business relations—mainly that split cut between them both in regards to the wealth this middle class establishment generated. "Very well, I'll not discard too much of your time so long as you tell me where your mother—my wife—is." Nonetheless, he still put in a condition which he expected Glasses to fulfill because the burden of responsibility for causing any strife as a result of any altercations in the conversation would've been placed on him.

"How should we know?" Glasses responded with some venom in his voice, acknowledging that he might've been at fault for refusing to answer his father's request. "She never tells us what's on her mind. I hardly associate with her anyway." The truth was cold and icy, yet true nonetheless. He wasn't going to tell Satanick that he did understand why his mother did whatever she did, plus he wouldn't dare put forth his preference for her over the Gentleman Devil to his father. He could have done it, but chose not to since Satanick asked where she was, not who his son liked more. He was content not providing any more information than what was necessary to ensure his father left.

"True, though she could've left a note with you or your future wife," Satanick mentioned.

"I am sorry to say that Miss Lil hasn't done so," Kiku murmured truthfully in response.

The Gentleman Devil didn't seem unsatisfied with their answers. They gave their response just as he asked, and he didn't want to disturb them as their business was not his. Henceforth he stood up because he got what he came for from them. "Ah, so she is currently doing something of her own accord, then? I see…Well, I'll not waste the rest of your dinner together. Have a pleasant evening, son; you too, Kiku, and you as well, Mors. I wish you in particular good tidings and hope any agreements you reach on this business trip of yours can be accomplished smoothly and steady."

"Such matters are going well in fact, Mr. Satanick," Mors commented nonchalantly. "There were more discussions and negotiations today which all ended on positive notes. Nothing sour has come up, so the meetings are certainly going smoothly so far and it looks like they'll go on at this pace." He wasn't going to mention Lil's call to his mothers about wanting to stay, hence why he'd been silent on the matter when Satanick posed his inquiry and he was continuing to do so because it wasn't his business and he didn't want the Gentleman Devil to contact his mothers about that.

"Excellent, I'm glad to hear that," Satanick replied, walking away. "Have a good evening."

"Sure, whatever, Father," Glasses grumbled back after him before averting his attention to Mors with a small smile directed at him. "Thanks, Mors," he said, aware of his friend's silence on the matter pertaining to Lil after his father exited the building to show he appreciated the silence.

Mors returned the gesture with a small smile of his own and shut his eyes. "Think nothing of it, Glasses. It would be an irritation for Miss Devil and my mother if he called them asking about Miss Lil. Besides, I am sure your mother wouldn't appreciate having him ruin her own affairs too."

"I do wonder why he left so easily, though," Kiku murmured, confused as to why Satanick just left without spending more time here interviewing them about Lil—even if it was more like a case of being interrogated about where the vampire demon was. "Usually he's a little more forceful in an elegant way when he asks about anything. Maybe he already has a good idea where she is."

"Whatever the case, he's gone so we may enjoy our dinner in peace," Glasses commented.

…

"You are certain it was appropriate to simply depart that early after receiving but a solitary response from each of them?" the goat demon inquired to check if his master was sure that was an exit he intended to make at once instead of drawing out any additional information. Granted, what Satanick heard was enough and they were already well aware of the fact Lil wasn't anywhere since his wife was no longer present in the Devil's Kingdom anymore. "Your early departure could draw suspicious attention from them, leading to unnecessary complications that may hinder your plans."

"They wished to savor their dinner in peace without interruptions from me, so I gave them that much since my inquiry will make them think I don't know either," the Gentleman Devil stated to explain his reasoning for leaving Maekami's bar sooner than they expected. To them, it was but a minor concern that hardly affected the grand scheme of things. "But duly noted, Yagi, due to the spies I assigned to wiretap the dining room in my son's quarters and construct tracking chips which have been implanted in my wife's cellphone without her knowledge. Those things are in every sort of technological device this hell produces, and she doesn't suspect the new ones she bought directly after disposing of the one I had provided to her when we first got married still have them too." He let out a breath of air nonchalantly, pulling out a bottle of red wine from a small bucket full of ice and pouring a glass for himself. Yagi didn't need a drink because he preferred to just wear the gas mask, so Satanick didn't offer him one and took a sip of the wine before proceeding. "She's not in the Shadowed Sanctuary, nor the Flower World, saving me calls to those locations and suspicions from the leading political figures who reside in them. Henceforth, they won't inform Her Majesty of my wife's absence and what their interpretations of the event could be—if they correctly deduce the truth should they ever hear it from Lil in the event my wife does spill the beans. She may think we're not aware of her knowledge of what goes on, but we do; besides, it'll be just her word since she has no solid evidence, and we can always have her assassinated even if they do believe Lil."

"Yet our professional assassins—myself included—despite all our skills cannot perform it because of her abilities as a hybrid demon," Yagi pointed out, arms crossed as the coupe limousine pulled into the driveway. "We'll need the Fourth Hour to handle the matter, and that's if he decides to send them our way. Thankfully we've got the coordinates from the data sent back by the chip." He removed a file from a folder on the seat next to him, handing it to his superior. "A certain world of peace we know as the Gray Garden, once referred to as the Colored Rainbow World until it was destroyed due to war, leading its reconstruction under the White Goddess and Black Devil. There's no doubt she's residing there, possibly with the White Goddess and Black Devil; considering their policy of neutrality, it's possible they might not act even if they've been made aware of what she's told them. A somewhat optimistic theory in our case because they might not inform Her Highness, though I suggest we do not take any chances whatsoever regardless of that fact. Retrieving her will have to be the suggested means of approach via subterfuge and stealth by kidnapping her with the White Goddess and Black Devil unaware until it's too late. And if they discover she's gone, they'll still probably do nothing so long as it doesn't make a critically negative impact on their world."

"Very well, I shall implement your strategy at once," Satanick remarked and placed the red wine back into the bucket, still keeping the glass even after they exited the limousine once it came to a stop at the castle. "Nonetheless, I shall also inform the assassins I send that they're free to kill her if she causes any trouble. Hopefully they'll be able to get it right if luck shines down on them." Stepping onto the patio porch out front in the courtyard as the moon shone over him, the Gentleman Devil raised an arm to give the signal for his shadows to emerge from hiding. The shadows rippled, rising up until a trio of demons appeared from within them directly behind their master. "Daimonji, Anten, and Envi, I have a task for you three," he commanded them without turning to face them.

"Sweet, an assignment," Anten, the demon with slate gray hair done up in a ponytail along with scarlet eyes and black hands that had white nails on them, said since he was looking forward to it. He wore a black suit and had a tail that seemed longer than his height. His horns were twisted and there were stitch marks on his neck which were concealed by the collar of his suit. Anten gave a malicious smirk, wondering who had to be assassinated this time. "So, who's the unlucky target, sir? Another dissident secretly plotting against you to seize power for himself, some woman trying to kill her husband to steal all of his wealth and power, a diplomat in league with your enemies?"

"Nothing so common, Anten," the Gentleman Devil responded. "You must retrieve Lil."

Anten made a face of disapproval by scowling, though he said nothing as Daimonji started speaking up next. "A recovery mission from another region or another world…" the demon attired in a brown jacket over a white shirt with black pants uttered nonchalantly. His horns were simple, yet his bony tail was like a second spine protruding from his body—or perhaps it was an extension of his spine. Daimonji's hair was white and short, though one side was longer than the other, plus he also wore neon green goggles which garnered the moniker 'Goggles' from others. A black scarf much longer than Anten's tail and in tatters swayed gently as a breeze blew by. "Where could she be, sir?" he asked, seeking information on the location in question as the Gentleman Devil handed him the file detailing the information they needed by describing the Gray Garden very elaborately.

"The Gray Garden as the file states. You're to attempt to retrieve her without drawing any attention to yourselves," Satanick commanded them. "Though you may interact with the locals so as to determine where her position might be. Just don't give them your names and personal info."

The third assassin amongst them glanced somberly at the report before looking up to make a point their superiors were already aware of. "But what if we have to kill her?" Envi, a goat demon with muted green hair in a ponytail like Anten, but with a black ribbon holding it in place, uttered. The color of his red eyes went well with the red shirt and dark red vest that was covered by a black coat which matched the color of his pants and shoes, and he adjusted the dark red bowtie while he gripped the white umbrella at his side. His ahoge also blew in the wind too. "I do not think I could do something like that. Crea could find out what I've done and would hate me for taking a life."

"You are my nephew, Envi," Yagi spoke up to address his concern in a strict tone of voice filled with stern venom he directed at the other goat demon. "I am trusting you to not be a failure like Jork; otherwise I shall see to it that Eimin will be allowed to undertake this mission should Lil and anyone else in the Gray Garden trouble your investigation and subsequent recovery of her."

"Peace, Yagi," his superior calmly instructed him. "Do not be so harsh towards the boy. It is his first assignment with Anten and Daimonji now that I've reformed their little group. A shame Maekami has retired, otherwise his skills would have made him the perfect replacement for Envi." Next he turned around to address the young goat demon, averting a whimsical, yet cold gaze onto him to put forth an inquiry towards him pertaining to Envi's capabilities. "You shall undertake this mission, will you not, Envi? I have heard great things about you from the late doctor; your skill in combat with that enchanted umbrella at your side is second to none. It shouldn't be a problem."

"With all due respect sir, I'm afraid my hands are tied because I must care for Crea. Doctor Flankenstein ordered me to care for her before he died. I must follow the last edict he gave me."

"Then you may feel free to take her along," the Gentleman Devil reassured him of that. He knew of Crea despite having never laid eyes on her due to other matters garnering his attention as work was important to him. Satanick was also aware of Envi's status as her caretaker now that the good doctor was no more. Although he could've assigned somebody to babysit the little girl made by one of his old subordinates in place of Envi while the goat demon was away, Satanick believed it was alright to be a little lenient on Envi so long as he accomplished this job well. "That better?"

The young goat demon nodded. "Yes, sir, I shall endeavor to handle this the best I can."

"Excellent," the Gentleman Devil remarked, turning around to walk away. "Get to it now."

…

"…and thus you shall understand why the Treaty of Blodau was a pivotal moment between the Heavenly Council and the Flower World," Mr. Riktor concluded this part of the lesson. He had spent a good part of the first half of his International History class on it and briefly diverted a gaze over to the planner on his desk to determine what the next topic he'd lecture about was. However, he finished the lesson with a closing statement. "Not only was this an apology to the Flower Devil who was forced into the role due to being the sole survivor of brutal torture dealt by the deity who ruled her world in conjunction with her father as the previous Devil, but it was also a first step that led to better relations between some angelic and demonic forces. To put another example out there, the Gray Garden has such relations besides the Flower World and our next subject. Does anyone have any questions concerning the material of this topic, or would you like to comment on it?" he asked, allowing his students the opportunity to offer their own opinions and inquiries about this.

One of the boys, a Nephilim, raised his hand and the demonic teacher pointed at him. "Are these worlds the only few examples of such relations, or are there other rare cases such as them?"

"Unfortunately, there aren't," Mr. Riktor responded to his question. "Of the three examples that are well-known to us, all three of them are the only instances when angels and demons began to collaborate peacefully. If we were to analyze each of them, our world would be the most tranquil because angels and demons live together in a peaceful coexistence. The Flower World by contrast, however, is much similar even though the angels have all abandoned their world and the God due to his actions. It is a world of demons who live in a harmonious civilization governed by paganism as the religious system. Our third example which I shall get to next consists of both a heaven along with the underworld, both of which collaborate together in a cordially beneficial relationship."

Another boy, an angel, raised his hand next. "Was the Flower World the only world to have its Devil as the sole ruler of civilization? Might it be an example other worlds might follow if they end up in similar circumstances if not fully the same all the time?" he inquired out of curiosity.

The demonic teacher shut his eyes and put a bent finger to his chin as he contemplated the matter, wondering how other worlds might've gone about it. "Well, the former God of the Flower World was a war criminal who was tried and convicted for his crimes against demons in his world. That led to the current Flower Devil, Rosaliya Phantomrose, becoming the sole ruler. While we'd expect some members of the Heavenly Council to have opposed the decision, it was a unanimous vote in her favor due to what Liliya did. He virtually shamed all of them, disgracing everybody on it with his actions other deities wouldn't take. They reached the result as an apology to the Flower Devil and pledged to work with her whenever she required assistance to help her govern the Flower World. Other deities won't likely adopt similar techniques Liliya used, so I don't think it may be possible for other Devils like Rosaliya Phantomrose to achieve the goal by the same objective. It's a difficult subject in the other worlds because deities and Devils must counterbalance one another, plus there is also the fact that Liliya's subordinates abandoned him, leaving no one from his heaven left who could have preserved this balance which all of the worlds except ours follow in life."

"But what if a Devil were to be eliminated and there were no candidates to succeed him or her?" Dialo inquired after Mr. Riktor pointed at her next once he finished giving his response. "An underworld would need a Devil to govern it. Would a deity be a sole ruler then, or is one sent out?"

"Bear in mind that the underworlds are a feudalistic civilization as a whole governed by an immensely powerful demon reigning over them as the monarch," he answered her. "The monarch is in charge of who becomes a Devil even though the underworlds can choose their own candidates for the role. This monarch would have the final say in addition to the Great Witch, somebody else who must also provide an opinion of the candidates because witches do work with Devils as you'll remember from when you learned this during your freshman year in my course. If both of them do not approve of the candidate—with the monarch trusting the Great Witch's word over the demons who elected the candidates—the candidates cannot become Devils. This is different from how the Heavenly Council does it, but some deities come to power the same way demons are elected. There is an answer to your inquiry, however, Dialo, in that deities could become sole rulers, if only for a temporary allotment of time since they would eventually have to create demons to oppose them."

"So, in a nutshell so to speak," Yosafire deduced from that, "elections are handled in their own styles depending on what society is like in other worlds, yet there should always be a balance." She was jotting down notes, ensuring she was fully up to date on the material and could understand it clearly. "Deities need Devils just as Devils need them except in rare cases. Is that the gist of it?"

"Certainly, Yosafire," Mr. Riktor replied with a nod. "That's the fundamental concept and it also applies to the angels and demons along with whatever beings are similar to them as well."

"So there must always be two rulers in the worlds, right?" another student asked him.

The teacher nodded again. "In most cases, yes, with the Flower World being an exception."

Choosing to participate at this moment, Macarona raised her hand too to make a comment. "Rosaliya said there was another Devil who had come to power in his own world while I was away in the Flower World," she said when motioned to speak up. Everyone could remember her visit as it was quite an intriguing topic. Mr. Riktor had set up his lesson plan to go over that today, giving Macarona the opportunity to offer her own feedback on the Flower World and what she saw there while participating in any activities in that world. She had mentioned Rosaliya was uncomfortable with the topic of her past to him before leaving, though received permission from the Flower Devil to speak about it because she was helping educate her fellow students about the history. Since one of the other students brought up the matter of there being two rulers, a deity and a Devil, with Mr. Riktor citing the Flower World as the exception they knew, the young angel felt it was appropriate to mention another world as a comparison to the Flower World. "According to other Devils whom knew the affair better than her and were closer to this world in particular, a Devil named Warwick managed to completely take over his world and base it around the black market that served as what drove his underworld both politically and economically. Why, Her Majesty herself told me he had not experienced any recessions in his underworld despite losing ground in the other hells, so maybe that could've been the source of revenue that helped keep his civilization intact without problems."

"A good example, yes, Macarona," her demonic teacher replied to her explanation. "There are a few passages on that in your textbooks that describe the incident in question, though nothing too concrete has emerged regarding how he came to seize power over the entire world. Speculation has been the only element driving theories as to how that occurred, but guesswork is not efficient. It could lead to ideas, yet these ideas would require evidence to back them up before they could be solved. That is a good comparison, Macarona, even if the details on how it happened are too hazy."

"That's what Rosaliya said too when she told me about that," the angelic girl added.

"I see, but in any case let's move onto the next world we're learning of," Mr. Riktor said.

With a small smile as she turned to a fresh page in her notebook to jot down more notes of the content they were learning in today's International History class, Macarona clicked the button on her pen a few times to check if it was still working fine. The lead had begun to slide back down into the handle a couple weeks back just before her trip, though there was still ink in the thin tube inside. It wasn't much, but she had spares and wanted to use up the rest of it prior to throwing the broken pen in the trash once the ink was used up completely. Discarding it sooner was wasteful.

Considering how Mr. Riktor hadn't mentioned the name of the other world they'd learn of today even though they were already aware of which world it was, Macarona knew he'd be going over the Pitch Black World's history. A correct assumption due to his allusion to that world being a place where angels and demons got along, if not as well as the people of this world because there was still conflict if any trouble emerged among them. As Mr. Riktor paused before moving on so he could adjust his tie and brush hairs of his mustache away from his mouth, the bright green shirt he wore matching his horns, the young angel took this short interval of seconds to think about how Lil was doing because the demonic lady stayed put inside her house. Macarona was fine with that because she trusted Lil and freely welcomed her as a guest, so the demon was alright by herself.

Her thoughts first drifted to the quest they undertook together this past Saturday when they had fun slaying a bunch of undead and Nandi Bears along with a Lycanthrope. The quest may not have been as tense as other conflicts Macarona was involved in, but it was thrilling and exhilarating all the same. Following that duel strike she and Lil performed in the Zeiss Orrery, thereby defeating most of the enemies, they agreed to explore the rest of the premises for any further opposition and to look for more loot they could carry. Several patrols of Wights and Nandi Bears were still around, though the duo took care of them and let survivors flee since their den was cleared out. Once they routed all the enemies, the two of them proceeded to open any chests they could find to see if they could find any treasure. Some objects consisted of ordinary potions, weapons, armor, and jewelry. These items were brought back to the village and stored in the shed next to Macarona's house since the young angel and her demonic companion would sell those things later today when school ended for the day. Several of them—particularly a couple weapons and an armor piece—were enchanted, and these specific items were going to fetch a higher price in the stores than the regular pieces. As for the chest unlocked with the key that Lich had, it contained a unique staff; magical runes covered the whole thing, yet it had no orb. Rather than sell that one in addition to the ordinary loot with it, Lil suggested they could've found a place to display it in Macarona's house as a trophy of sorts.

The fun they had along with the treasure they acquired was quite rewarding as was valuable experience they gained from accomplishing it. Even the five hundred gold was increased when the authorities and sporting goods store employees learned what transpired at the Zeiss Orrery. Both groups were in charge of handling the distribution of quests as they collaborated so adventurers as well as other people who undertook them were paid well if the quests were anything at all like the adventure Macarona and Lil shared together. Yet normal citizens were also allowed of contributing ideas for quests too, and they even posted help-wanted flyers for odd jobs. Concerning the quests, however, specifically those for adventurous souls, the rewards could increase if conditions not on the original document were discovered and completed with evidence brought in to show how such conditions were present. This evidence basically included something from corpses of monsters.

And that was exactly what Macarona and Lil did on Saturday in the evening. Around when the sporting goods store was going to close, the dynamic duo strode in triumphantly and set heads of the various creatures they encountered upon a mat designated as the place where this very kind of morbid evidence was meant to go. Arraying the heads of the Lich, Lycanthrope, a Wight, and a Nandi Bear all in a row as they both smiled in satisfaction, employees and other customers who've been there at the time were amazed at how well the pair had done in their hunt. The story they both shared with everyone there at the time garnered gasps of awe and laughs, the entertained audience enjoying the tale while one of the employees contacted somebody over at the castle to come verify the heads as real. After explaining how they did to the guy, it was decided to up that five hundred gold coin reward by four times which totaled up to two thousand gold coins the duo split together.

Afterwards they returned home while the money was wired into Macarona's bank account. With the quest over, the two of them took turns showering to get rid of the stenches they accrued. The young angel returned the armor to the store before they left, though received a call pertaining to her possibly changing her mind about purchasing it at a later date. After the call was over while she'd been making dinner for them, Macarona then joined Lil as they watched a movie before bed.

The next day was nothing more than a movie marathon, though the angelic girl did go onto her laptop to log into her bank account online to check her balance and credit score. She also went out to the castle's bank as a quick errand to fetch the thousand gold cut Lil earned from the quest. Sunday was quite uneventful aside from that and the movie marathon as a contrast to the Saturday quest. Nothing much happened and Macarona didn't get any calls from anyone as others were busy with their own affairs, but at least she got caught up on her homework while they watched movies.

Now on the same page with her peers, Macarona was prepared for another week of school. She was looking forward to what she'd learn this week, and she and her friends would get together with Lil once the school day was over. A thought occurred to the angel that she could maybe invite the demon to her couple afterschool clubs tomorrow and on Friday too. Deciding she would ask if Lil could attend, Macarona hoped her otherworldly friend would be extended an invitation to join while she was staying in this world. As her thoughts wandered back to the lesson now that it began to resume, the young angel took a deep breathe to clear her throat and ready herself to learn more.

Lil was at home, or the demonic lady could have been strolling around town now that she'd become familiar with the layout thanks to the tour Macarona gave her the other day. Not expecting her friend to show up all of a sudden and playfully disrupt class, she then realized it was something Lil might've done anyway and pondered if the lady thought about suddenly doing so as a surprise. Which was why she wasn't that surprised when the classroom door was thrown open after a certain woman looked inside to make sure it was safe enough to playfully barge in without hurting anyone.

Her arrival was quite a surprise to everyone, both the teacher and his students. Before them stood a regal lady who acted anything but regal, though many of them didn't know that. Macarona knew, and so did her friends, but even they were bewildered by the sudden announcement Lil made to the class. Of course, Macarona merely shook her head in amusement since the thought occurred to her a few moments before, so the coincidence was a bit funny—like when Xerxes called when she and Lil talked about him on Saturday. Still, she suppressed laughter to avoid disrupting class.

"SURPRISE GUEST SPEAKER, KIDS!" Lil declared, moseying on into the room to find a spot where she could put a few bags which contained some candy for the students who all stared at her in surprise. Many of them looked at one another in sheer bewilderment, a couple shrugging as others whispered among themselves to theorize on who this lady was and why she was here. "I just know you'll enjoy having me here!" the demonic lady continued, going around while handing out the candy she purchased for them—one piece per student. "Hopefully there's enough for all of you and the other students who'll probably be rotating into class after this session's finished later."

Clearing his throat and stepping over to her once she was nearly done as Principal Lesley's appearance was also cued by the sudden arrival of this unexpected guest because he heard her from another classroom he exited after checking on how students taking a test were, Mr. Riktor directed a glance of befuddlement at the principal who shared the same general consensus of confusion. He was unsure of how to approach this matter because he never met the lady before, though he figured he'd at least get to the bottom of it to hopefully better understand who Lil was and why she showed up out of nowhere for whatever reason. The woman declared she was a surprise guest speaker, but neither he nor Lesley made plans to have one over for his International History course today. "My apologies for the interruption, Ma'am, though please excuse me for posing a few questions to you," he began when their surprise guest speaker turned to face him to begin speaking as if she had made plans for this by anticipating how her appearance in class would've garnered confused reactions.

"Hi, my name's Lil, I'm here to help teach students about some international history today. Don't mind me, I won't take up too much of their time in other classes; this is the only one I came to so I could lecture the students about a foreign society. Surely you don't mind, do you?" she put forth the question after briefly explaining herself, acting all giddy with a wide grin on her face that made some of the students chuckle because she acted like a kid herself. Lil was definitely excited, looking forward to their approval even if it would've been an uphill battle acquiring said approval.

"We appreciate your enthusiasm to aid the lecture," Principal Lesley spoke up on behalf of Mr. Riktor and his students, making his presence known to her since Lil might not have known he was there too. "However, the school has a policy that guest speakers—" Before he could finish his second sentence, the demonic lady spoke up to interject, cutting him off since she knew the idea.

"Must contact school faculty or be contacted by the school to determine an appropriate date when the guest speaker—speakers if plural due to more than one being contacted which is the case for special events like a career day—may spend some time lecturing students on topics the faculty and guest speaker discuss beforehand which determines what sort of material shall be covered."

Lesley and Mr. Riktor blinked in surprise, casting glances at each other since they were in fact amazed that their surprise guest speaker knew all that. "Well, yes, that's the gist of it," Lesley responded to confirm the accuracy of her explanation. "You must've read the school guidelines."

"That are spread throughout all the worlds, both heavens and hells alike," Lil added, further demonstrating her knowledge and awareness of the concept. "It's an international thing, something I'm already familiar with. I didn't even need to read the guidelines here since virtually every school follows the same principals in each and every single world—at least the ones we are aware of." It was a true statement once again, and the two staff members were impressed with her intelligence.

"Well, your knowledge is certainly something, Miss Lil," Mr. Riktor conceded the point to her about that. "Even so, the guidelines still have to be followed. Your presence is welcome, though we ask that you adhere to them. If you are knowledgeable about the upcoming half of today's class subjects, I can allow you to stay and talk with the students about it. I only ask that you speak with Principal Lesley about it first to obtain his permission. He'll need to give the go-ahead on this."

"It depends on what the topic is about, actually," Lesley replied. "What is the next subject?"

Lil smiled, choosing to interject in their conversation once again. "The Pitch Black World! My home world! Well, specifically the Devil's Kingdom, of course, as I am indeed a demon." Her remark about her being a demon was obvious, so she didn't need to say it. Nevertheless she chose to anyway for no reason in particular for one wasn't really needed at all. "You needn't be surprised by my awareness of that too much, gentleman, for I already read Macarona's copy of the syllabus."

"Oh, well, then I suppose it would be alright then," the demonic principal conceded, letting the matter drop since he approved of her staying as did the teacher. "Speaking of a student in class at the moment," he added, glancing around the room until he found Macarona seated upfront, "you know our surprise guest speaker, Macarona? Would she be the lady who was looking for you?"

The young angel turned around with a smile to answer him. "Why, yes, she was indeed."

"In any case, now that we've sorted this matter out, I'd say we'd best let class resume," the demonic principal went on, giving best wishes to the students on his way out of the classroom.

"Thank you very much for having me!" Lil grinned happily, grateful for being allowed the opportunity to talk about the Pitch Black World from a perspective of a demonic resident who had lived there—mainly its hell. "I appreciate being given the chance to teach students what I know!"

"You are most certainly welcome, Miss Lil," Mr. Riktor replied with a small smile prior to addressing his class next. "Students, it appears we've received a guest speaker by surprise. Not by immediate design, of course, though as she says she's from the next world we're going to learn of today, she shall be allowed to lecture about what she personally knows about her home world. She may or may not follow the lesson plan I laid out, but her knowledge will be welcome all the same."

The demonic lady's smile never became a frown, and she quickly bounded over to the front of the room and curtsied gracefully as a proper introduction to the class as she was done acquiring her permission to stay and give a lecture. All the students already finished eating the candy pieces which she handed out to them, though there was still more for others who would've come to class after they were finished. It was a shame the rest wouldn't get a piece each if Lil didn't immediately run out to the school's front entrance to hand what she had left out to students who wanted candy. Luckily for them, the lady already thought of that since she was perfectly aware this was the second to last class for today, so she was prepared to give out the rest of this candy to them then. She was unable to attend before during the morning and early part of the afternoon, though that was because she had been planning a lesson plan she'd teach students in Mr. Riktor's International History class today. With that lesson plan all set, Lil introduced herself once more before putting it into motion. "Hey there, sweeties, the name's Lil. I'm here to educate you all on the affairs of my home world."

Macarona smiled. It would be an interesting lecture even if Lil reiterated unpleasant things.

…

 **Talk about a surprise guest speaker. There would've been more to this chapter, yet I already covered a lot about what Lil already told Macarona and some of the other characters before. To do so again could've been unnecessary reiteration, hence why I stopped here.**

 **I've read through the Obsolete Dream manga chapters that were available, though a name for the town by the castle wasn't mentioned in any of them. Even the wikia didn't give any names of locations in the Pitch Black World either which is why I've made a non-canon name for it so the Devil's Kingdom could have a known location readers can be familiar with whenever it appears this story and any other ones I include it in. I made a couple references to the first two chapters of Obsolete Dream as well around the part when Glasses, Kiku, and Mors are conversing with Maekami in his bar. The disclaimer for the manga is found below.**

 **Furthermore, Satanick's page on the wikia alludes to Victor Flankenstein as deceased which is why I'm also referencing his death. Victor's page on the wikia appears to make this same point because it describes him in a past tense by saying he was a mad scientist who had been Satanick's subordinate and Crea's creator. There shall be more to how he died in later stories and also later on in this one, though as in all of my stories, I'll use only few details at a time in each one I allude to this notion in. This allows you to speculate on what happened.**

 **Also, Blodau is Welsh for 'flower' which is where the name of the treaty I mentioned comes from. Blodau shall be a town in the Flower World, hence why I named the treaty after it. The wikia says nothing is known about this world which is why I made some development for it from a non-canon perspective as I may have discussed in some of my other stories.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Obsolete Dream; it's owned by Mogeko.**


	7. Chapter Seven: Of Classes over Pizza

The group exited the portal after about an hour of traveling along the inter-world buses that eventually took them from the Corporate Heaven to the Gray Garden without any issues. They all had passports developed by the Department of International and National Diplomatic Affairs when the Gentleman Devil ordered Yagi's employees to construct the papers. With their new passports in hand along with some other stuff packed for the trip, the four of them went over the border into the mortal realm and crossed the sky into the Corporate Heaven. Nobody questioned their presence as demons came and went at any time they wished thanks to a deal Fumus and Satanick made to allow the respective citizens passage into places they respectively governed. So long as the demons stopped causing trouble, they were free to enter the heaven unopposed without any supervision by Satanick. The same could've been said for the angels too, though they were well behaved whenever they were required to travel into the Devil's Kingdom for business and negotiations. It might've been seen as one step towards peaceful coexistence between the angelic and demonic inhabitants, though they both still lived in their respective heaven and hell. Still, it could've toned down some of the conflict and averted larger catastrophes in the process by producing this deal for the better.

In addition to their passports were sets of clothes and weapons too. The latter they hid with black magic spells in their arsenal, keeping them away from prying eyes that could've reported to superiors who would've disbarred them from traveling abroad. Being caught red handed would've ruined the mission, hence why they had to hide anything suspicious and come up with a reason for passing through the Corporate Heaven into the Gray Garden. When asked about it, Daimonji stated they were just tourists heading over to the Gray Garden for sightseeing. That was what he told the angelic stationmaster at the portal leading to the Gray Garden within the Corporate Heaven, and it was certainly helpful having Crea around as the young creation would be fulfilling that role with Envi at her side. While the two of them would make it seem like they were sightseeing, Anten and Daimonji would handle the retrieval of the Devil's wife. This way they'd use their cover to perform the mission, and Envi would not be placed in a situation where he'd blow his cover as an assassin to Crea since it would upset her a lot if she discovered her caretaker whom she knew for her whole life had hurt or killed somebody. Such an atrocity would devastate Crea by scarring her forever.

Yet this wasn't the only story they concocted for their little expedition. While Envi and his little charge were on the sightseeing tour, Daimonji and Anten invented another tale they'd use for the purpose of locating Lil. After splitting up, the veterans would ask if anyone noticed a demonic lady—their friend—emerge through the portal. They didn't ask in the Corporate Heaven since they were certain Lil used it and made herself known to the authorities there. She could have given her identity to acquire a passport in that heaven prior to coming here, or she might've somehow had one made before at an earlier date whenever she snuck out of their underworld to visit those friends of hers in other hells which the Gentleman Devil was aware of. Yet he did nothing but observe her movements with devices created to spy on her and secretive agents he sent after her too, so he had no problem letting her do whatever she did with those friends she had since she never revealed any secrets to them. Besides, it would've only been her word anyway; she had no concrete evidence of the plans and associations up Satanick's sleeve in a much grander scheme of political intrigues.

Stepping out of the portal, the three assassins and the little girl with them found themselves in a desert oasis town. Stone buildings were constructed throughout this part of the town they've observed upon exiting, yet some modern baroque and concrete structures were also present too for the sake of providing this settlement with modern forms of power like electricity, cable, along with an internet the citizens made use of. Trees and cacti decorated the place with additional foliage as well as tarps, tapestries, and posters that made walls look lovely while advertising assortments of products and services. It was quite an average desert town, a nearby sign saying the name of this location was Natoh as a frame of reference for their knowledge as they would have to return the way they came unless Satanick himself showed up to open another portal back home. Angels and demons were in several places from the spot they looked from, doing all kinds of things together and enjoying each other's company while having fun with several activities and running businesses here in the town's market district. A strange sight to these demonic foreigners were the Nephilim, beings born from marriages between angels and demons, but other people who were quite similar from separate social groups of divine and demonic peoples like Gryphons and Pegasi were here.

Skipping forward down the steps into the market district square, little Crea's eyes widened in their sockets as she gazed upon this new place in amazed awe. She had never left the underworld in which she was first constructed by Victor Flankenstein, and even after she was made Crea didn't get many opportunities to leave the castle where she was cared for and observed by the staff present under Victor. Up until the doctor's untimely death, she was mostly cooped up inside for plenty of her lifespan; fortunately, he instructed Envi to become her permanent caregiver in his last moments of life while his chief of staff, Kumori, was assigned to become the new boss in charge of his work. Even before this last wish was bestowed to Envi, the young goat demon was already put in charge of caring for Crea ever since she was first produced as a test subject for one of the projects Victor undertook. Nothing really changed in regards to his duty except for more responsibilities assigned to Envi since he was allowed to take Crea out whenever she wanted to see the outside underworld. Looking upon newfound discoveries was a joy to her and she wanted to see virtually everything.

"Envi!" she called out to her guardian and twirled around to face him and his associates as the assassins sauntered down the stairs she ran down before them, her black hoodie blowing in the wind as it grazed her to make the little creation giggle. "Envi, Envi!" Her red pinstripe socks were a good match for the shirt she wore while her black and white sneakers went well with the hoodie and its white cuffs at the end of both sleeves. However, there were green laces in her sneakers with the soles being the same color, a green symbol on them being like her eyes in addition to red dots, a few of which were present on both sneakers. These weird symbols were cross-like strikes, though this wasn't the only strange part about her because the stiches all over her body including her face were there, but only ones on her face and fingers were unconcealed. Yet the strangest part about her was the huge screw sticking through her head within the pink and black curls—the black being curlier than pink—of hair with two red ribbons directly below the screw on either side of her head. "Envi, Envi, look, look!" Crea squealed in delight while seizing handfuls of sand from the ground in each hand to let it slip through her fingers. "It's sand! It's a giant sandbox!" she declared aloud.

"Not exactly, though it is certainly much bigger than a normal sandbox," Envi replied in a gentle tone of voice as he stepped closer to her and kneeled down beside the girl to place his hands on her shoulders so he could turn her around. "Look, Crea, this is what's called a desert, see? There is sand everywhere in deserts, and you can even find settlements like this town here and dungeons."

Crea's eyes bulged out in delighted joy. "Wow, can we go see them, Envi?! Can we?!"

"Can it, pipsqueak," Anten insulted her, forming a fist and knocking it against the very top of her head when he walked over to try and shut her up because he didn't like Crea. "Just shut up."

"Anten!" the goat demon hissed at him to scold his superior for the action. "Don't hurt her! She's just a child!" After directing his anger towards the other demon while Daimonji walked over to a couple of angels working at one of the stalls nearby, Envi diverted his attention back to her as he smiled softly to cheer Crea up. "Don't mind him, Crea, he's just a big bully. He didn't hurt you too badly, did he? I can get you some ice cream or something to make everything better, okay?"

The creation smiled happily after sniffing sadly for a moment, though that sorrow was just a temporary sadness because Crea was delighted by Envi treating her to something pleasant. "Yay, ice cream! Ice cream!" she chirped excitedly and began running around in circles since she was in a good mood. Moments later she turned back to the older demons and made a face by sticking her tongue out at Anten while holding her left lower eyelid down. "Big meanie Anten! You're mean!"

Growling his disapproval since he despised the little bundle of joy and how the Gentleman Devil gave the new guy permission to let her tag along, Anten just crossed his arms and huffed as he turned his head away to gaze around the area. "Get used to it, you little shit," he swore in front of her, forcing Envi to shoot his hands forward to prevent the girl from hearing the bad word Anten uttered in front of her. "You're teaching her an advanced vocabulary, right, Envi? She should know what that last word means," he admonished the new recruit of their trio sternly. "She's artificial!"

"It doesn't give you the right and justification for swearing at her," Envi retorted to him, a look of disapproval on his own face because he didn't tolerate the language his superior officer in this group used. Anten may have been a veteran, though the goat demon really would have applied a bit of physical force to teach the other demon not to swear around little children like Crea. "She's getting a good education from my tutoring, she doesn't need you teaching her how to be like you."

"Look, kid," the superior demon hissed back and immediately grabbed Envi's collar to pick him up and hoist the goat demon into a position where Envi could've kicked Anten if he even did want to make an attempt to fight back. "The girl's a nuisance to us. She's a hindrance to why we even came here in the first place. The only reason she was allowed to come was because you were given permission to take her. Our Devil may have given it, but you are under our command as the new member of our association. Henceforth you're to do as you're told without hesitation at once."

"I am doing exactly what Daimonji instructed me to do," the goat demon retorted again as he lowered the pitch of his voice. "Your actions are what's currently drawing attention to us." His warning was correct since Anten could see a few individuals observing their interaction. A couple of them were guards and they were about to walk over and have a word with the demon when Envi felt his superior drop him and walk away. Taking a deep breath while gently grabbing Crea's hand, he averted his attention towards those guards and spoke up on Anten's behalf. "No worries, he was just a little tired is all. We've had a long trip and need to adjust ourselves to the time zone here."

Hopefully the guards would've believed that. Otherwise they'd have problems because the superior assassin just had to go and mess things up despite thinking Envi and Crea were the issues.

"Alright, just let us know if there's any more trouble and we'll help you settle any issues," one of the guards responded before heading away with her buddy towards a local inn that was also a restaurant too. Thankfully they left without getting too suspicious of the foreigners in their midst.

Once the two of them were gone, the goat demon breathed a sigh of relief as he was happy to have avoided what may have escalated into a sticky situation. "That was close…" he murmured to himself, though his voice was a bit loud enough for Crea to overhear what he was saying then.

"Is something wrong, Envi?" she asked, worried her caregiver was in some kind of trouble.

"Oh, no, it's nothing, Crea," he smiled down at her and shut his eyes reassuringly to soothe her nerves if they were frayed while Daimonji walked over to them. "Don't worry, everything will be fine. Mr. Anten's just a bit cranky for a bully; he didn't really mean anything by those comments of his. We're not in any trouble since we haven't done anything wrong at all. We're totally fine."

"I beg to differ," the demon wearing goggles remarked and held a mask out to Envi for him to take. "She'll need to cover those over her face and keep her hands in her pockets so nobody will notice them." He was referring to the stiches in plain sight on the creation's body which Envi could understand since those would certainly give Crea away as being a construct brought to life by some kind of necromantic process whether it was through alchemy or magic. It wasn't the latter, though a complex alchemical process which eventually evolved into a kind of biological chemistry due to all the body parts gathered to produce Crea. "If you need gloves, split up and go buy them. We're meeting at the train station later, though we'll be getting our tickets separately per pair for the same train. Our quarry traveled to another village called Gray Village; we'll go there and look for her."

"Or any leads pointing to the direction she headed in?" Envi inquired to finish for Daimonji.

The other guy nodded as Crea accepted the mask. "Exactly," he replied, pointing towards the opposite side of town past crowds of people in the streets. "We'll be heading out in a couple hours. You know what to do, so play the part for a while until seven. That is when we shall embark for Gray Village. Until then, you're both free to do whatever you'd like within this town for now."

"Okay, thank you," the goat demon remarked and watched both of his superiors walk away as Daimonji began to explain their current plan of action for the next destination when Crea pulled on his hand since she was curious about what they were talking about. She knew absolutely nothing of the mission they were entrusted with, so she wanted to know if Envi was busy with work. "What is it, Crea?" her caregiver asked sweetly to her, kneeling down to tenderly rub her head. Daimonji hadn't mentioned the giant screw in her head, though the other demon didn't need to since the goat demon planned on getting all sorts of things to ensure the evidence of Crea's creation was protected from prying eyes that could've inquired into the mystery of whether she was actually born or made.

"What were you talking about?" the girl inquired as Envi suspected. Her curiosity was a virtue he liked, though unfortunately he couldn't reveal anything to her about what his associates and himself were discussing. Doing so would've upset her and revealed themselves to the public.

"Just work stuff, is all, but we've got time to sightsee," he uttered to cheer her up and get her mind off the subject. "Come on, let's go get you souvenirs," he said, pulling up Crea's hood.

Crea smiled joyfully, excited to buy souvenirs and do other things in this town. "Yay, let's go, Envi!" she squealed in delight, pulling him towards a bunch of stalls, the mask covering every stich on her face. Her caregiver was grateful it was strapped on so it wouldn't fall to expose them.

…

"Man, Macarona, you were simply amazing!" the demonic lady complimented the angelic girl on her performance in that friendly matchup at today's afterschool club. "You did very well!"

"Thanks, Lil!" Macarona replied as the pair waited for their pizza while chatting about the fun they had today. "It was a bit challenging for a small club tourney, though the matches were in fact quite simple since I was helping the new members who joined this year." She was being quite modest about the event, though couldn't exaggerate since she'd have been overstating the truth of what happened when it was really as casual as she'd been describing to her friend. As it was Friday and Macarona got permission from the student club counselor, the teachers and Principal Lesley on Monday, Lil was extended an invitation to observe both clubs her angelic friend was a member of. As the club rules were lenient, Lil participated in one to have some fun alongside the members.

On Tuesday it was a horticulture club that prepared the plants and flowers for the school's garden which they took care of, and they also applied alchemy and chemistry to the process too by concocting potions. These potions were then added to the soil to help improve the soil quality like other methods such as fertilization. Furthermore, other types of potions were produced too because the students could make use of plants they set aside for the purpose to produce potions they wanted to sell to the local apothecary. Funds acquired from this trade went to improving the club and also some charity fundraisers the club supported, plus a cut was even provided to The Auburn Tulip as well to help that small shop. Such nice gestures were very sweet, and the good deeds in turn were repaid by privileges to visit gardens in other regions on field trips and help organize special events. Since the horticulture club was quite fun and everyone could join in, Lil worked in this one because of how fun the gardening and alchemy were, plus she got to hang out with Macarona and Yosafire as they were both members too. The demonic lady forgot to get an autograph from Yosafire before, hence why she found a chance to acquire it at the session for Tuesday's horticulture club that day.

Friday's club was something she couldn't participate in because it was a club in which the students practiced martial arts and did various kinds of spiritual healing techniques with exercises. Diverse martial arts were taught consisting of: Kenpo, Karate, Taekwondo, Chun Kuk Do, Shuri-Ryū, and Jeet Kune Do. The club's energy medicines were Reiki and Shiatsu, plus it also utilized meditative practices like Yoga, Tai Chi—which was a martial art too—and exercises of various other styles to improve inner chakra. Though Lil could've partaken in the exercises, today was the scheduled appointment for a tourney, an event to train new recruits and veterans like Macarona practice martial arts with various partners. It was a choice the young angel herself made since she was the club's president, and she thought it was a good idea for everyone to know their limitations and train with one another to further practice what they knew. Although Macarona's specialized style of combat was not present in what the club learned and performed, the young grappler found ways to incorporate it into other exercises. Besides, it was a unique form not everybody practiced. Even so, the other students did utilize all of the techniques on occasion just like her at times too.

Now that the club's session was over today, she had some time to eat out with Lil today.

In the days that passed since the demonic lady first barged in unexpectedly during a session of Mr. Riktor's International History course, Lil was gradually becoming quite popular with every student in school. Word spread of her prestige as the wife to Satanick, the Gentleman Devil of the Devil's Kingdom—whom she constantly referred to as her dipshit husband, the insult towards him being inappropriate according to the teachers. A single incident regarding that occurred on Monday and Mr. Riktor reminded her to not say the insult aloud in school, nor should she have ever thought of saying it anywhere on school grounds. Referring to the underworlds as hells was okay since that was what they were also called, but swear words was against the rules which Lil broke on purpose just once for the sake of having fun insulting her husband at his expense. He wouldn't know of it.

Lil proved herself very knowledgeable about the affairs going on in the Devil's Kingdom, how its national customs shaped it while contributing to the international network of contacts that included the other hells and also the Corporate Heaven. Through the Pitch Black World's heaven, the Heavenly Council also made use of some imported products and services when Fumus sent an assortment of such elements to the other heavens after receiving them from the Devil's Kingdom. Not only that, but Lil described pretty much everything pertaining to society and its history going with a nutshell of everything as opposed to the entire story for the sake of time since there was not much left for the class that day. Fortunately, Mr. Riktor thought she was such an effective speaker that he invited her to return for the rest of the week and help lecture the students on her world with Macarona assisting in the first halves of each class too while she talked about the Flower World.

It was such an intellectual week that Lil's fame gradually grew throughout Gray Village as a result of these lectures. The inhabitants all came to know her from the children who shared their accounts of listening to her with their parents who in turn spoke with friends about the woman and her presence in their world. They enjoyed having her and wished she could stay for as long as she liked, and Lil was most certainly welcome to if her husband wouldn't let her have an active position in the Devil's Kingdom. Although the possible threat of Satanick declaring war was still legitimate because it could very well have happened in the near future, the residents of Gray Village and the other towns as well would've done everything they could to help her. After all, she was welcomed as one of them; she might not have been a full citizen of this world, though she was considered to be one by them. Even the authorities had come to like her; Etihw, Kcalb, and Wodahs did as well.

Yet there was still the unpleasant reality that was the Devil's Kingdom. The demonic lady spoke at great length about its patriarchal corruption, how the government controlled virtually most of everything with men being the dominant individuals in power. She talked about how wealth and gender were the only significant restrictions and how poor people could become rich aristocrats if the men were the only ones who could wield such power and riches for their benefit. Her husband, according to her—and Kcalb too since he also knew Satanick in the past as an associate he did not like either—was the worst example of a man who could do anything because of his role and status as the underworld's Devil. He controlled everything with the help of loyalists in society, troops in the army who followed their leader's every command through military officials like Yagi and those male CEOs—excluding Killie—who donated the funds to his legislation and other plans in return for benefits they could acquire. The Gentleman Devil really was a man who controlled everything.

Despite the harsh conditions of the Devil's Kingdom which the people wished they would not have to suffer under if Satanick declared war and won, they still understood how Lil felt about all of that and wished it could change. They gave her hope, and she was very thankful for the hope.

"Don't be so modest, you were awesome!" Lil went on complimenting her, giving thumbs up to the young angel as a token letting Macarona know how highly the demon thought of her. As she had a front row seat for the action in the club's unofficial tourney, this woman's memory of it was still extremely fresh in her mind in light of the fact it took place an hour ago after everyone at the club cleaned up once they were finished. During her observation of the martial arts club's brief activity which lasted for about a couple hours, Lil couldn't stop cheering for the students who were participating. Her praise for them was very welcome to them, even if it was a bit distracting. Still, nobody said anything because her praise also helped them push themselves to improve with others who helped one another during the training session. "I mean, you're such an accomplished master of your craft! Why, I'll bet you're a professional expert somatomancer to boot with your skills!"

Macarona giggled, shutting her eyes since she liked the praise. "I do know some abilities a somatomancer would be well versed in, mainly cheiromancy and its subset skill, cheirognomy, as well as podomancy. Although I can apply the kinetic energy of my chakra into these skills, they're not included among the curricula the club teaches because not everybody makes use of martial arts as a form of combat," she explained, reasoning why the skills couldn't be lessons in her club. "The techniques we teach and learn are mostly for fun sparring sessions between each other and anyone from similar clubs in other towns, and also for meditative purposes to cleanse the body and soul. I may make use of them when I'm fighting monsters, not against other people." Leaning back in her chair and looking towards the counter to check on how the slices of plain pizza they ordered were doing in the oven, Macarona diverted her attention to Lil again after seeing they were ready as one of the waiters took them out. He put both pairs of slices on two large plates and brought them over as she finished making this point. "I suppose you could call me a somatomancer, though I don't utilize all of the abilities one knows as I'm more of a grappler. Then again, I could also be referred to as a martial artist; the terms are quite broad because of how general the classes actually are."

"In regards to what class you could be," her demonic friend commented after they thanked the waiter for bringing over their pizza, referring to the class system adventurers used to define the range of abilities and skillsets they wielded. "If you were to wield a weapon such as a shortsword, or maybe even a staff, you could qualify for becoming a myrmidon or a monk. Maybe a priestess, specifically one who also wields martial arts depending on the world you find yourself in. There's definitely a broad range of classes affiliated with your skillset, though you've essentially narrowed it down to several more that could apply in specific senses. Must be difficult defining your class."

"Pretty much for it is quite a challenge when trying to define it. Being a martial artist is not a specific term in of itself because there are many diverse styles," the angelic girl agreed, taking a bite of one slice on her plate and chewing before swallowing. "Applying it doesn't necessarily say what specific styles I know because of how general the term is and how broad the category is too. Then again, a fulltime somatomancer would be well versed in his or her whole skillset, a few skills in it being among my forte because of my fighting style. Of course, other classes like myrmidons, ninja, and any others are quicker as they use speedier attacks and sometimes use stealth. Monks in some worlds do use healing spells like priests, priestess', and clerics, though in other worlds they'll rely solely on martial arts with unenchanted staves, quarterstaffs, and any kind of lance or spear."

"So none of those are really applicable to describe your class?" Lil asked, eating her pizza.

"I'm afraid not, and the indecisiveness on my part concerning that is why I haven't selected a class in my freshman year of school regarding what abilities I wanted to learn. They teach magic and spellcraft for mage-oriented classes and combat techniques for those aspiring to be sort of like warriors, but for beginners since it is still high school. The courses are first available to sophomores like myself, though they're optional instead of the mandatory classes just like how clubs are formed as optional outlets of afterschool activity. I haven't chosen many because most of them are geared towards teaching students how to effectively wield weapons in combat against monsters on quests and hunts with the same going for magic. The only one I enrolled in was a hand to hand course as it appealed to what I wanted to learn and help teach in the martial arts club, plus I'm also learning more and am quite advanced in that regard due to other lessons the castle provides as part of early higher education training and also in the higher education courses taught there. I may not be ready for the latter due to not being old enough yet to really enroll as they're for students who completed high school and are at least eighteen years old, but pre-higher education courses are available."

"Wait, if you can select it in your freshman year, why start learning skills as a sophomore?"

"Because it's to provide a year in case students decide later on they want to become a much different class or one similar to what they selected at first," Macarona answered after chewing yet another bite of her pizza and taking a sip of her soda. "A very flexible rule, so to speak, but it does work. And as I said, the classes are optional; the courses in the castle still teach the same beginning fundamentals as in high school, though taking it in high school means you can progress to the later levels of such training without having to retake the castle's beginner courses unless to refresh one's memory. All of my friends have already chosen their classes, except Rawberry had to drop hers."

"Most likely due to caring for her older sister," Lil surmised from that remark. "What class was she, and what did the other girls pick? Are they already getting started with their classes?"

"Rawberry wanted to be a regular mage, though gave up when she started working for half the day each week as a result of what happened to Raspbel," Macarona answered the first inquiry. "But yes, the others have started their training. Froze is a cross between a cleric and a mage because we can combine two classes into one and call it whatever we like; I believe she is going to become a sage focused on Cryomancy and healing. Yosafire's seeking to be a witch hunter who combines archery with alchemy alongside some spellcraft; while there is no more need to hunt witches, our world still has the option available for anyone wishing to use the appropriate skillset to hunt down creatures that wield magic like witches. As for Chelan, she's also mixing classes between a bard and a cleric to write poems, stories, and songs while using healing spells; her class will be more supportive if she ever does enter combat as she won't really fight, yet it is welcome all the same and I think she'll call the class a troubadour. Dialo's the only one who wasn't really interested in choosing a class or making one of her own as it didn't wow her, so she's merely content with her dream of working in that bakery where Chelan will also work by applying what she learned about the classes to please customers by giving her songs and poems to the bands at the bakery and café."

"Sounds like your friends all have ideas about what they want to do for their careers," came a reply from the demonic lady as she ate her pizza. "What you, Macarona? What will be your job?"

Macarona put a bent finger to her chin and shut her eyes, pondering on a conversation from a while back when the threat of Siralos' invasion was still a problem. The same matter was a topic that had come up when Grora paid Froze a visit while the other angel and Dialo were helping her. "I haven't put much thought into it yet since I'm still a sophomore. Most students like myself don't usually focus on their careers until they're juniors, but that's just what I know from other students in Gray Village's high school. That being said, becoming an author was the first idea that came to mind following the Project Dynol Peiriant conspiracy as I was working as a part-time night guard because of the book I wrote about it. Of course, that in of itself can be a tough career to really work through because the only means of acquiring revenue is to write something like a book or an article with the former paying significantly well whereas the latter is merely an average payment. Yet it's quite possible for individuals in this world to live by that average payment alone as it is still good."

"So that'll be like a supplementary salary for you," Lil surmised to continue the dialogue.

The young angel nodded, eating her pizza and speaking up after she swallowed another bit of a bite. "Yep, though Miss Etihw suggested I could become a foreign ambassador. That's another possibility since I'm friends with individuals like you in high places, strictly speaking for hells. Maybe I'll see Mercury again too if I go to Elux's heaven for that. Miss Grora said it was a good idea too when I mentioned it to her once. They're not the only two, however, for others, including my friends, also advised me to do it. I suppose I could do both by becoming a foreign ambassador who writes books since it is very possible, yet I feel I'd be restricted to underworlds that will accept on account of my friendships and the heavens since the angels here live peacefully with demons."

"Oh, that'll be no worry, Macarona, I'm sure your fame as a reincarnated descendant of an amazing ancestor like Rigatona will get you into even some of the most hardened demonic hells," her friend offered her some support by putting forth a counterargument against the last claim. "The deeds and chivalrous attitude of Rigatona and her best friend, Yosaflame, spread through all hells. Why, I've heard even Devils who absolutely despise angels and deities willingly made extravagant exceptions for her because of how well-respected she was to demons and due to her friendship with Yosaflame. Trust me, once they see Rigatona's resemblance within you, both externally and internally, none of them will ever decline having an audience with you, nor will they ever harm you either. Then again, I guess Warwick shall be the lone exception because he only does business with his black market on said black market too. Everything's pretty much only business to him."

"And I could probably only get a chance to do business directly with him if I become a full employee or businesswoman in that black market," Macarona stated rhetorically, not blaming Lil for the thought of that Devil because the demon was merely naming him as an exception to others in underworlds who would accept her whereas Warwick wouldn't. "I'd never stoop so low. If he's going to take the opportunity to conduct any kind of diplomatic business with me, he'll have to be notified that he'd need to come to me without any of the conditions present in how he runs affairs in the black market. Otherwise we shall never meet or even be in contact for that matter since I'm not going to ever conduct illegal business in a shady industry like the one he's governing. Warwick may operate a black market in his own world, but that doesn't mean I'd go there to join or have an emissary of his come enlist me as an international agent of his. I'm a good law-abiding citizen."

"Good answer, one I'm in full agreement in even if Warwick himself isn't," Lil chuckled.

"Thanks," Macarona said with a smile, glad to hear her friend supported her perspective as she knew Lil would never have involved herself with any sort of business like that either. Yet that didn't mean her husband shared the same ideals. For all the angel knew, Satanick could've been a supporter of Warwick's black market just as Dr. Alibe was in the Shadowed Sanctuary. Macarona could have asked about that, but chose not to because it wasn't her place to pry into machinations of a political and economic association that may or may not have been true. It was a private matter that Lil might've known about, and if she did that was her business which the angelic girl refused to ask about because that could've risked souring their friendship. Besides, it probably had nothing to do with the marital dispute regarding the demon wanting some more power in her civilization.

Whatever the case, Macarona dropped the matter so she and Lil could eat in peace without such complex subjects threatening to ruin their friendship while they talked about other topics that were not so intricate and hard. Much happier topics pertaining to what else they could do while Lil was staying with her in the Gray Garden. The ideas made for a much better conversation anyway.

…

Watching their comrade step off the platform with his little charge a short distance right on the other side of the train station, the two demonic assassins observed as Envi strode into town and begin to inquire for directions to the town's hotel. Upon seeing him turn around a corner as nobody was watching them, the two veterans shadowed them carefully, making sure they weren't seen on the very same path. Keeping the goat demon and the creation in sight, Anten scowled since he still didn't like the idea of bringing her along on this mission. "You know, we could've just left the two of them in the last town. The newbie's going to be troublesome having her at his side all the time."

"Peace, Anten, I have already informed you they're to be our cover," Daimonji said, trying to prevent his aggressive partner from doing anything reckless. Anten's preference for slaughtering without asking questions was a hindrance to their work, a problem that would cost them dearly if they were found out to be the Gentleman Devil's assassins. His associate was the same as always even before the two of them were grouped with Maekami to form a trio that guarded Lil to ensure she wouldn't do anything stupid by going against Satanick. Anten never lost that lust for killing as he liked it; he was a demon, after all, one who enjoyed his work if never being really careful about it. "They're to guise themselves as tourists with no ties to us. That was the reason why Mr. Satanick allowed Envi to take Crea along with us. It'll make it easier since the inhabitants will accommodate them by showing them around town and relaying information to them as well. Envi will inform us of what he learns so we can develop a mapped framework of the area and search it as need be for spots where we can safely abduct Miss Lil without garnering any unwanted attention from locals."

"Reconnaissance, eh?" the other demon murmured quietly, keeping his voice low too since he didn't want to get caught. Speaking aloud would've blown their cover. "Fine, but where are we going to begin? This whole town's pretty sizable according to that map you got at the train station."

"Blancblack Castle…" Daimonji said in response. "She'll likely be among the nobility. It's the sort of place Miss Lil likes. Splendor, magnificence, refinement, and regality…she'll be there."

"And you're positively certain she'll inside the castle? What if she isn't there at all?"

"Residing in private quarters the castle provided her, yes, though Gray Village itself is also a viable locale if she isn't in the castle during the day. She'd want to explore this place, perhaps in the company of an armed entourage considering her status and importance. The rulers would make sure she has guards around her at all times because of that and whatever she might've told them."

"I reckon she'd make a fuss if she did or didn't have an armed entourage with her," Anten remarked since he knew what Lil was capable of in combat. "She probably doesn't need one at all. The lady's already quite a powerfully, annoying nuisance. Hell, she'd take us out lickety-split with no help since she wouldn't need it—that's if she's even aware of our presence within this world."

"True, but as long as we handle it carefully without mistakes, we'll retrieve her," Daimonji added, believing there wouldn't be too many complications. Then again, he knew the Gray Garden was successful in pushing Ivlis back because the Flame Devil invaded this world thinking it wasn't going to put up any opposition. That was Ivlis' mistake, so they had to be sure it was not repeated. They weren't invading, at least not yet if they planned on the conquest, so a smaller squad like the three of them could get by unnoticed and unhindered. All they had to do was stay in the shadows, keep themselves hidden in plain sight without drawing attention, and let the novice do his duty. It was a simple order Envi had to follow while the two veterans stayed back and observed him work.

"And we'll kill any witnesses?" his comrade asked, hoping he'd at least get that chance.

"Absolutely not, we're to handle this discreetly from the shadows," Daimonji said, starting to meld into the shadows to avoid incoming passersby who hadn't noticed or heard them speaking.

"Aw, you're no fun," Anten retorted and did the same while they shadowed Envi and Crea.

…

 **Okay, another filler chapter to further explain some miscellaneous aspects that aren't really that important to the story while alluding to other elements that are significant. I know it may not be really intriguing, though I'm trying to set up an upcoming fight in the following couple to a few chapters. I won't spoil the details for now, though I'll elaborate more on this later in the chapters that follow this one because they'll be approaching another boss fight.**

 **Regarding the martial arts mentioned above in the paragraph about the martial arts club Macarona's the club president of, there are certainly several plus energy medicine types and yoga exercises mentioned too. Since there are a lot, I suggest you look on Wikipedia for more information about them. I seriously checked out many types of this material to include some in the chapter, and I think describing all of them when they're pretty similar might not really explain the differences in each style. I will say that chakra, which is included, isn't the same as chakra in Naruto/Naruto Shippuden/Boruto. Although both may be similar, chakra in this story will be like the actual chakra in real life; however, I will still include a disclaimer for these anime/manga series at the bottom just in case it still seems like it is very similar.**

 **However, other aspects you can look up on Wikipedia too which I can briefly describe are the methods of divination I incorporated as being similar to other kinds of Mancy skills, like Pyromancy and Necromancy to name a couple examples. Somatomancy is a way of using the human body to interpret divinations. Cheiromancy, Cheirognomy, and also Podomancy are subsets of Somatomancy that respectively emphasize focus on the palms, hands, and feet.**

 **Since this chapter covers a bit of the class system which I've gone over at other times, I just want to say that the classes I'm incorporating are from the Fire Emblem series and the Elder Scrolls series. The disclaimers for the latter is below; the former's is in chapter four.**

 **One last thing I just wanted to mention was that the wikia page about Kumori doesn't say anything about which world she might live in. As she was likely inspired by Frankenstein, I thought she'd be connected to Victor Flankenstein in some way along with Crea and Envi.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Elder Scrolls series as it is owned by Bethesda. I do not own Naruto/Naruto Shippuden/Boruto; they're owned by Masashi Kishimoto, Hayato Date, and** **Ukyō Kodachi, the creators of the manga and anime— Ukyō and Masashi made Boruto.**


	8. Chapter Eight: The Neyrom Marsh

"…and that's the fundamental theory the departments have reached concerning Crystallis. As one of the key fortifications established by angels during the war to protect a critical front from demons who would've utilized that area to their advantage if they ever took it in a siege, our White Goddess whom we know as Etihw constructed that structure as a most important fortress to defend the White Heaven's borders from invasions. This magnificent structure, a water temple due to its location being in a lake surrounded by rivers that flow around it prior to ending in the lake itself, was an impenetrable stronghold. The dense forest around it has roots in marshes that make up the ground on which the site that surrounds Crystallis is comprised of, natural predators consisting of poisonous snakes and amphibious beasts having made this land their home as several monster dens and nests dot this part of this region. The whole idea of this preliminary expedition is to survey the site for any dangers outside the fortress, though the department heads gave us permission to delve into the ruins for the same purpose to ultimately determine how safe the interior may be for work."

"Meaning we'll get the first dibs on any loot we might perchance find?" Lil asked, sipping her water while raising a couple fingers in the air, a gesture that replaced the whole hand. Raising one's hand was a polite way of garnering attention to make a comment or pose an inquiry, though two fingers received the same attention all the same. "Will we get to keep at least some findings?"

"Sadly, I'm afraid you won't and I apologize for it," Nova, the Nephilim in their assortment of four replied to the question as she leaned against the podium, her PowerPoint presentation slides featured behind her. Attired in a blue t-shirt over a red floral skirt with patterns of sunflowers that decorated it, the young lady lightly tapped her foot against the podium. Locks of long, pretty white hair flowed down to her waist, some of it braided behind her head which reached to the front. "The departments made it clear all finds we do retrieve and bring back are to be studied and analyzed in great detail while Maurice and Stenvarrdo prepare plans for a larger expedition to Crystallis. They have already agreed on a matter of payment for an advanced quest such as this one and decided on a total of seven thousand gold coins. Although this amount may be relatively small compared to a higher range of prices we could pay for additional support on our excursion, we must save revenue for the larger expedition. Fortunately, you both shall be mentioned as assistants of the preliminary expedition once the final manifest has been written up and submitted to the library for anybody to read." Opening her own water bottle, Nova drank it as giving a presentation, while brief, made her feel parched. Her draconic wing beat in sync with her angelic one a couple times just for the sake of stretching them out for needed movement. The Nephilim's amber eyes shut while she was taking sips, opening when she put the cap back on. "Once again, I must apologize concerning the choice."

"That should be quite alright, I'm sure the payment in of itself is pretty fair considering the extent of what else the archaeology and anthropology departments shall be putting into this affair," Macarona commented in response to the explanation of what the reward for this quest she and Lil signed up for was about. She was already wearing the same suit of armor she had worn when they went to the Zeiss Orrery last weekend, and had ultimately decided to purchase it instead of renting the armor due to a great discount on the whole set. In one hand was one form for this quest, signed and authorized by Nova herself because she was put in charge of hiring adventurers. The document specified the specifics to the letter which were reaffirmed by the Nephilim during her presentation. "If I may pose an inquiry, however, wouldn't it be best for the expedition if more people came?"

"A valid concern, Macarona," Froze concurred with her from her seat beside Lil while she averted her attention from the PowerPoint slides to the other angelic girl. "One I posed to Maurice while Nova made the same inquiry of Stenvarrdo. More adventurers were welcome to join, though we could only accept a maximum of seven for an even split of the gold we're paying. Unfortunately on that end, it seems we're lacking five additional people who might be conceivably busy with the other quests that were posted. It could make things difficult for just the four of us, though we would have to manage as best we can to ensure we come back safely with plenty of valuable data too."

"Guess some people wanted to do other things," the demonic lady surmised, shrugging her shoulders. "There were a lot of people there when Macarona and I went to find another quest. We saw a bunch of experienced mercenaries taking on all kinds of jobs, some of which must've come across to them as being harder or easier than what this one could be like. To each his or her own."

"True, though just for some clarification regarding mercenaries, we do not have any guilds or mercenary associations of the sort even if former members of such institutions came here when they retired or left in search of peaceful lives," Nova added as a mere correction of Lil calling this world's adventurers mercenaries. "Other worlds have them, but not ours and we don't really serve contracts to mercenaries because we find they could be paid to go against us. It's true we can also pay them, but any opponents of the Gray Garden could perhaps double the pay if mercenaries were not entirely loyal to their employees by preferring coin over loyalty. Not all mercenary group make money their primary concern since loyalty is still important to some, though we cannot generalize both loyalty and money from that perspective to every single group when categorizing all groups."

"Ah, that makes sense," Lil conceded the point since she understood the concept, but didn't know if mercenaries could be found in this world. She was familiar with some from hers and others she knew of and had gone to which was why she made that assumption in the first place. Whatever the case was, it wasn't a significant matter whether they were adventurers or mercenaries in regards to taking up quests. The important thing was actually doing the quest, hence why she dropped this subject because the work the anthropology and archaeology departments were doing was important to uncovering the history of the Gray Garden's past and teaching it to others. "It would be nice for the job, having a bunch of adventurers join us, but what can you do if they're all too busy with the various other quests and activities they do in their time? Besides, I'd say we've got plenty of strong arms already; I mean, Macarona and I signed up. I'm quite a powerful demon and she's a heroine, one who helped stop a Devil and did all kinds of other things too while reincarnated from her great ancestor, Rigatona. With us on the job, you can be guaranteed excellent results," she laughed.

"I stopped that same Devil too, you know, and I'm a cross between a cleric and a mage for the added benefit," Froze somewhat retorted since she felt like her own abilities were excluded too since she told Lil all about herself and her own ancestor whom she was also reincarnated from. "It is crucial to have at least one healer who knows some offensive and defensive spells for protection. Otherwise even the most strongest of combatants might not survive in combat against strong foes."

"Oops, my bad, sorry Froze," Macarona's demonic friend giggled a bit sheepishly, turning her head to face her. "You're an excellent addition to the team since you know Cryomancy. Why, I'd say that makes you quite valuable for getting across the waters by letting us skate on your ice."

"There's already a bridge leading across from what the first scouting team relayed back to us when they returned from their preliminary observation, a couple days ago," Froze went on since she needed to elaborate on that too. "And before you ask, that was just an initial survey from above, not the actual investigation Nova and I were charged with by the departments. We're to go in from the ground and perform a land-based reconnaissance to determine what the threat level of whatever creatures and animal species could be and to perform preliminary analysis to examine the site."

"Sounds like you've already got that covered, but there's only two of you," Lil pointed out.

"Myself of the archaeology department and Froze of it and the anthropology department, though we're authorized to work in collaboration with the opposite centers we're respectively from like all members of the two centers," Nova clarified that bit too. "Each member is authorized to be considered full members of the other department they're not in so we can analyze the data we each collect from observations and analytical investigations because both fields are alike regarding the historical context with one focusing on people and the other on structures and other objects too."

"The number of adventurers, anthropologists, and archaeologists is lacking due to how few of us there are," Macarona agreed that more individuals could have been necessary to ensure this quest was successful. However, she also concurred with Lil since they were each quite experienced in their respective crafts. "Still, we do have some good experience and could still handle it well."

"But not enough members of this preliminary expedition team," Nova added to emphasize that point. "Fortunately, I'm a skilled evoker and can conjure elemental constructs if needed to get us out of sticky situations. A shame I've no skill with weapons or other means of magical defense besides the novice elemental spells under my control, but we should be okay as far as our abilities as a whole group go." Raising her arms behind her head to stretch them while stretching her wings once again, the Nephilim archaeologist then snapped her fingers at once to summon a set of bound armor similar to the gear Macarona was wearing. "So, everyone ready?" she asked, turning off the projector and pulling out her flash drive from the computer she was using to show that PowerPoint presentation. Storing the flash drive in a pouch much like the pouch knapsack the brunette angel also had, she turned to look at Lil. "Do you have armor, Lil, or are you going in a simple dress?"

"Nah, I'm good," the demonic lady politely waved the concern aside. "I've got abilities of my own and don't need armor because of them. Besides, even if my outfit were to get stained and dirty, I could just use those skills to clean myself up and eliminate whatever grime my dress accrues from the marshland." With a smile, she demonstrated her abilities for Nova and Froze. "See, girls?"

"If that's how you want to enter the marshland and Crystallis, that's fine with me. What of your armor, Froze? Have the others finished preparing it and other equipment for you yet?" Nova inquired of the blond angelic girl, turning to address her next. "When did they say it'd be ready?"

"About the time we were finished wrapping up in here," Froze answered her just when her cellphone vibrated within the pocket she had it stored it. Taking it out and flipping it open to check a brief text message she received, the young angel averted her gaze back to Nova and put the phone back into her pocket. "Maurice just texted me letting me know everything was all set and is ready."

Nova nodded. "Perfect, we'll head out once you've put your armor on and have your stuff."

…

"Wow, what a big castle! It's as big as the doctor's castle!" the little creation squealed once she finished running around the lobby avoiding other people as her eyes bulged out in amazement. Gazing upon all the tapestries and items on display was intriguing to her as was the size of this big chamber she and her caretaker found herself in. Her surprise could've been unwarranted, however, for she did live in a castle herself even if it wasn't hers. Yet Crea had never seen any otherworldly castles in her life, the only three she was familiar with being Victor Flankenstein's castle, the castle Satanick and his family dwelled in, and the stronghold where the Gentleman Devil's henchmen in higher tiers of their government lived in. Blancblack Castle was her first foreign stronghold, a keep that aptly held her intrigue the moment she caught sight of the location during the day as Envi was bringing her up the path to see this place. It was also the fourth largest of the ones she knew, with Satanick's Nightrise Castle being the largest and Nightfall Castle following it; Castle Flankenstein subsequently was the third. But regardless of the order pertaining to size, castles impressed her.

Watching his little charge sprint about with glee, a small smile on his face since he too was enjoying himself while caring for the young girl, the goat demon sauntered up to take her hand as she was nearly close to running into a demonic guard heading up to the barracks. "Careful, Crea," he gently instructed her and pulled Crea close so she wouldn't unintentionally cause accidents for anybody else. "This is a busy place. The staff here all have their respective duties just as the faculty of the other castles do. We shouldn't disturb them too much if we're going to tour the building and its various departments. Let's leave them alone unless there's a tour guide who'll show us around."

Crea smiled and threw her arms around her caretaker to give him a hug. "Okay, Envi! Can we go up to the top?! I want to see the rulers! Can we go meet the rulers, Envi?!" she inquired with so much enthusiasm that Envi couldn't help but chuckle at the idea of meeting royalty. Of course, he was aware that the White Goddess and Black Devil allowed ordinary citizens to meet with them. He had asked the innkeeper at the hotel about that when inquiring about places tourists were quite attracted to and was told that Blancblack Castle was one such locale alongside Apple Park and the Sea of Tears. Since the castle was where Lil currently resided according to his superiors, Envi had the right idea of coming here first with Crea in tow. Besides, she wanted to come here first anyway.

"Okay, okay, we can check if they're available and head on up to the top floor to see them," he consented, allowing her that much since he didn't want to deny her the opportunity of meeting Etihw and Kcalb. Although he'd be going against the orders from Anten and Daimonji, Envi hoped it would be a good technique of drawing attention away from the other assassins if they ever came inside themselves. Yet those two were outside, a short distance from the castle, waiting to hear the news their novice would relay to them later. Both of them were hiding within the shadows of trees to avoid watchful eyes that might've caught sight of them, though only Envi knew where Daimonji and Anten were. Another benefit of them being nearby was that they could rush in stealthily to the rescue if the goat demon and his charge got caught. Hopefully they wouldn't to avoid enraging the professionals, but Envi knew they would have to because if he and Crea were arrested, the both of them would be interrogated as to why they, Satanick's assassins—not Crea as she wasn't one, but would find out Envi was—came to the Gray Garden despite guessing they had showed up for Lil. In that case, they could've also guessed the assassins were retrieving or killing the demonic lady.

"Yay! We get to see the rulers! We're going to see the rulers!" his charge cried out happily. Other people who saw them could only smile and giggle, liking the child's excitement very much. This was helpful to Envi since it indicated nobody here suspected him of being an assassin as they all thought he was probably her older brother or a cousin, maybe even a babysitter. Even better for them was the fact Crea still wore the mask they got in Natoh with a pair of silky orange gloves for her hands to cover the stiches on her fingers and wrists. To others she was just a child, probably a demonic one since the nice young man with her was a demon himself. Yet to him she was a product of an experiment Doctor Flankenstein performed with trusted scientists under him; however, Envi believed Crea was so much more than simply that as did the good doctor before his untimely death.

Taking her hand in his own and leading her over to a desk where a few receptionists could be found, the goat demon waited patiently for one of them to finish typing something in a computer database before the angelic woman noticed him with the girl. "Good day to you, sir," she remarked with a smile and tipped her head down to show the facial expression to Crea, "and you too, young lady. How might I help you both today? Would you like to make an appointment for something?"

"Ah, no thank you, we'll be going around the castle on our own," Envi replied with a smile of his own directed at her. "We were just wondering if the rulers were available since she'd like to meet them first. Would the White Goddess and Black Devil be available in their offices today?"

The receptionist chuckled, the other two joining her because they heard the request. "Sure, Kcalb's in, alright," she answered him and laughed with her coworkers, "but finding Etihw's going to be rather difficult if she happened to escape work again." Turning to pose a question to the other receptionists, the angel wondered if the Goddess really did get away. "Hey, you both didn't receive any calls from Kcalb about Etihw 'taking a break' by leaving early, have you?" she asked them.

"Unless she happened to avoid the security camera in there, she would've!" one of the two Nephilim beside her commented with a laugh. "It's unfortunate we don't get to watch the guards drag her back to work by force, though at least her discomfort's caught on camera for us to watch!"

"Alright, thanks," the angel said in appreciation of the answer before turning back to Envi. "Yes, they're both in, just let me check their schedules." Opening a binder filled with papers which showed timetables for all the employees including the Goddess and Devil, the receptionist located theirs after flipping through some pages and nodded. "Yep, you can find them in their shared office before they head to other departments for meetings in an hour. Just head up the stairwell over near the assembly hall down that hallway there, or use the elevator near the daycare center down another corridor over there," she instructed him and Crea, closing the binder. "By the way, you're not from around here, right? Foreigners from another world, correct? I can tell by how you referred to them."

"Ah, is that so?" Envi asked, managing to keep his cool while fabricating a lie so she along with her coworkers wouldn't learn he was actually one of the Gentleman Devil's assassins. "Sure, we are foreigners to this world, yes. The manager of a company I know asked me a favor to travel research how other worlds perform business practices. We might be on vacation, though he is an associate and sought my help when he heard we'd be traveling abroad." This was the tale he told Crea and she believed him when he first mentioned it to her. Hopefully these receptionists believed him too, otherwise they'd be quite suspicious of who he was, where he was from, and what he was doing. The cover being blown here wouldn't have been as bad as on higher floors, the reason being because the entrance was close by in case he and Crea had to run away if they needed to withdraw.

"My, how nice of you," the receptionist complimented him on the aid he provided his fake associate, buying the story he was telling just like Crea had when he told her. "You know, I heard a lot of the underworlds in other worlds are full of malevolent demons, though you seem to be one of the demons from the Shadowed Sanctuary or perhaps the Flower World. A stereotype I am well aware of, though, but you don't look like a bad guy to me." Her assumption about that last bit was correct since Envi wasn't like other many demons in his underworld, more in the minority of those who were actually quite nice in fact. That was a very small minority, however, less than even one percent of the total population making nice demons like him an extremely rare occurrence. Though there may have been plenty of other good demons in other hells, Envi wasn't sure of how many to be exact aside from knowing his cousin, Jork, was pretty sweet for a demon. Even so, that did not mean the receptionist's other assumption about where he was from was true as he informed her.

"Not at all, though I am one of few in the underworld I come from who're good instead of evil." Envi chose not to say which underworld he came from, lest he drew suspicion towards them. Plying that stereotype to his advantage to avoid naming the Devil's Kingdom, the goat demon felt sure the receptionist wasn't going to inquire about that. Still, he made sure to add something to his response to pave the way for full clarification of his somewhat false intentions. Of course, he was still catering to Crea's requests as her caregiver, and he was more than willing to please her while keeping his job as an assassin for Satanick swept under the rug. "It's part of my responsibility after all since I am taking care of her," he said, referring to the little creation whose adorable little hand was tenderly grasped in his, looking down at her with a warm smile on his face. "She needs me."

"Aw, that's so sweet of you," the receptionist complimented him on how nice he was being to her. "She's very lucky to have you by her side. Anyway, I shan't keep you both any longer. She wants to see Kcalb and Etihw, and I'd rather not be the cause of you missing an opportunity to see them. Would you like me to call up and mention you'll be heading up to see them?" she offered.

"No, but thank you for the offer. We'll introduce ourselves to them," the young man stated and gently led Crea away towards the elevator. "Have a good day and take care," he called back.

"Thanks, you too," the angelic lady replied, waving to him as he and Crea waved back too.

"So, we can go see the rulers now?" she asked, looking up at Envi as they got to the elevator with him picking her up so she could press the button since her arms were too short to reach it.

"Of course, Crea, we're heading up now," he answered her as the door opened up for them and they entered by crossing the threshold. "We'll need to go up to the top floor where the Goddess and Devil reside." Still holding her so the little creation could press the button, he watched as Crea did so with a glint of amazement in her eyes because this was her first time riding an elevator. He set her down again so she could feel it rise with her feet, hearing her murmur small gasps of delight and awe at the feeling. Still holding her hand in his own, Envi reached into one of his pockets and removed a photo of the Gentleman Devil's wife as a frame of reference for what she appeared like. He heard Lil was a nice lady, and he couldn't imagine why her husband wanted her back. Yet Envi had heard some unpleasant rumors despite being told nothing at all to his face as he was a new guy in the trio of assassins Satanick employed and reorganized—Maekami excluded due to retirement. A lot of it had to do with politics mostly, and he wasn't into politics since he did not care for the subject since he had continue to uphold his duties as Crea's caregiver. Whatever the case was, he had a job to fulfill and he was going to do it to the best of his abilities as a demonic nightblade.

…

Stepping off the platform where the warp slate in this region went to, the Nephilim in bound armor raised an arm to shield her eyes from the bright sunlight as she glanced around the area since she wanted to be sure this was the correct place. She, nor the rest of her small team for that matter, had never been to this part of the Gray Garden before. After taking a train to arrive in Susent once they four of them were fully prepared for their journey, the group quickly located the warp slate a little bit after they disembarked. One of the conductors, an experienced veteran from the war, was quite familiar with the area they were heading to and pointed them to the warp slate by D'dyl, one of the old garrisons that had been converted into a hotel haunted by spirits of deceased angels, this reason making it a popular place to do some ghost hunting. As they were not going to spend a long while here, whether overnight or for a few days to a week because this was merely a daytrip, Nova decided they would simply use the warp slate there and head to Crystallis for their expedition. The coordinates they put into the warp slate after getting them from the conductor were correct, so this was definitely where they had to be to perform their preliminary surveys on the water temple here.

Before them stood a vast terrain of reeds, grasses, and rushes; the population of these three herbaceous varieties outgrowing a few small shrubs and other plants in terms of their presence due to how much of this marshy grassland there was. Rivers of water that rose up to the level of one's ankles—and in some spots up to the kneecaps—flowed through the marsh, their state of being still without really flowing giving off the illusion that they were simply not moving in either direction. Some slight movements were made out, however, thus forming cracks in that artifice without fully shattering the deception because this was a natural phenomenon of the water. The ground was very muddy, forming a hideout for snakes and crocodiles that utilized it to stay out of sight until victims who didn't suspect a thing were caught. Several mounds of this mud and herbaceous grasses were also present since they formed mounds monsters constructed to serve as their dens which could've been dug deep into the ground, thus forming larger dens that could've been considered to be some small cavernous dungeons. Creatures that made these could've consisted of either Boggarts or one species of Stymphalian Birds that made their nests inside such mounds instead of in the trees. Even average swamp monsters were common in this region as were the similar mud men, neither species of monster having special characteristics to set them apart from one another and make them unique among other entries in bestiaries. Will-o'-the-Wisps were also quite common, wondering this land in search of prey they could attempt to slay to try inhabiting their bodies to reclaim their old lives.

Nova took in a breath of fresh air while her associates came down the steps too. "Well, we have finally reached the biome where our destination is located." Turning around to address them, the Nephilim made sure she was a few feet out in front to speak clearly. "The name of this location is Neyrom Marsh. According to historical accounts found in Susent's library by the aerial research team, this biome we're now standing in was once thriving grasslands with booming communities, these communities being average farmlands and towns that contributed significant advances to the culture of the White Heaven. These advances made an impact on the economic, political, and social spheres of civilization with several prominent candidates rising to power and a few of them serving as potential candidates for the position of becoming the Green God of centuries past. Unfortunately for this piece of the entire region it was formerly a part of, the war between the White Heaven and Black Underworld ruined it. Much of the terrain became a horrid wasteland of disease, war, along with death; pestilence was rife in this county of the White Heaven because the Black Underworld's forces seized much of the region except for the part that makes up the whole space it has become."

"If I'm not mistaken," Froze added to the brief lecture her older colleague was giving, "this place managed to sustain what was left of the population that successfully became immune to what had happened. They rallied in Crystallis and were still capable of keeping a line of defense against the demons who assaulted this place under orders from a sadistic lieutenant by the name of Roxas. In spite of their losses including leading lieutenants on their side, angels banded together without leaders to hold them off if they couldn't drive or rout the demons out to the fullest extent. I believe the swampy space around the temple was the effect of a spell Roxas utilized to poison his enemies via a magical poison that weakened their health until the survivors built up their immunity to it."

"Correct, Froze, for Roxas was a druid trained in the art of poisonous spells within Mancy disciplines of geomancy, hydromancy, and subset disciplines of both," Nova affirmed the account her young colleague gave. "Like many druids, he was also proficient in natural elemental magicks based on the earth's prime elements. Yet poison was always his favored tactic because he believed poisonous decay in many cases was an art form in his opinion. That was why he preferred poison."

"Though if that's the case, are trees that are still standing still poisonous?" Macarona asked out of concern for their safety because the trees might've retained some toxic glands in which any fumes of noxious vapors would've poured out from. "I know our masks can protect us from it, but what if the poison somehow naturally developed a means to bypass resistances to the diseases that it can cause?" Her questions were certainly legitimate concerns and she was right to raise them.

"An excellent point, Macarona, one that was already considered by Kcalb when he and the Goddess were reconstructing this world from the old world it used to be," Nova assured her. "The glands and poison were already destroyed by his magic before it could be released any further."

"To avoid the issue of it possibly spreading and infecting everyone who didn't build up an immunity," Lil finished for the Nephilim, looking around the place with an intrigued interest since this was her first time laying eyes on a marsh. Her friends and Nova went to marshes before since they were a bit familiar with the terrain as they explained all they knew about it with anecdotes of past trips to a few more marshes in this world. "And also the problem of it producing ways which could've gone around any immunities to it, I should add, hence why they were deactivated, right?"

"Well, I wouldn't use 'deactivated' to describe the state they are in," Froze commented on that. "The trees are still alive and well, it's just the poisonous glands that were eliminated to ensure the noxious fumes wouldn't be an issue anymore. Those trees still stand as a testament to what the things were used for in the past, and today a species of Stymphalian Birds build nests in them. The predatory birds are quite dangerous, above and on the ground in mounds another species builds. If anything, they've become normal in light of the decaying state they appear to be in because magic was used to preserve their disfigured appearance, making them look gnarled and twisted all around. You could say the appearance was warped when the poisonous glands were removed and destroyed subsequently." Stepping forward to go past Nova, the young angelic girl also put a hand above her eyes to shield them too, gazing off into the distance to see if she could spot the site in question. An orb of light surrounded by smaller, similar orbs suddenly materialized out of nowhere behind her, the Will-o'-the-Wisp nearly striking her down when a watery construct stopped it from attacking.

"Careful, Froze," the Nephilim gently chided her with a kind instruction and dismissed the construct from its duty after it slew the spiritual entity. "You never know when something like that will pop up to assault you." Watching the angel in a mix of hide and leather armor turn to face her, Froze lifting a mask to cover her nose and mouth while pulling up the armor's hood and positioning her pigtails so they would be flowing out of the hood, Nova went closer to check on Froze. "You've got to pay extra attention to your surroundings in places like this, especially when the wildlife can be dangerously close to the warp slates even if they can't actually approach the things from afar."

"It was likely a stray that wandered too close to it," her younger colleague countered lightly without an attitude, theorizing on why one was this close. Ambling past the Nephilim, Froze knelt down on the ground to examine the remains of their foe. Picking up a stick to nudge and poke it in the deceased state it was now in, the angel put a finger to her chin and thought of any ideas which could have explained such close proximity. "I've studied Will-o'-the-Wisps in school and learned they cannot get too close to warp slates because their spiritual energy will be negated by the magic within warp slates. They usually wander these marshes alone, rarely in packs. Why one immigrated here to this precise spot, risking whatever life it had left, must be due to a flux in the environment."

"Wait, you can tell which region it originally came from?" Lil inquired out of curiosity.

"In a manner of speaking, yes, I can," Froze began to explain for her. "See the bluish tint?" she then asked rhetorically, pointing to the color in its remains. "This one originates from estuaries and other aquatic biomes where land meets the sea. Apparently this Will-o'-the-Wisp immigrated here because of warmer temperatures in its original habitat. This occurrence is not unusual, though they don't frequently travel outside of it either unless driven out by predators, thus causing the flux I mentioned. It happens sometimes and is quite normal according to studies experts have done."

"Wow, that's pretty smart," Macarona complimented her friend and knelt down beside her to view the spiritual entity too. "I didn't know Will-o'-the-Wisps were affected by the environment and any changes in it. A shame this one was pushed out of its territory, though." She couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor thing because being forced to leave one's home was just terrible. It was also a reminder of how Lil was forced out of the Devil's Kingdom, even though she left the place. That was a decision her demonic friend made, but she must've felt pressured into making it because it meant she wouldn't go home until Satanick agreed to let her have some power in civilization. It was a hope she wished could come true, yet Macarona liked having Lil over regardless of whatever the circumstances of her stay were. Even so, she still hoped things would work out for her friend.

"Aye, now it'll never return," Lil commented, that feeling getting to her. However, she was not the Will-o'-the-Wisp; she could return home if she wanted to, but wouldn't until she had power. That was why she stayed strong despite feeling sorry for the spirit. "There's nothing we can do for it if this thing happens sometimes and can't really be stopped in cases like this. I suppose we could give it a proper burial if need be time permitting. Would that be alright, or will it delay us a bit?"

"It'll delay us," Froze answered her. "This residue left over from it will soon evaporate just a short while later. There's no point burying it, and it will not affect the ecosystem in this habitat."

"Then I say we'd better get moving," the demonic lady remarked while Froze got her staff at the ready, carrying it in one hand after pulling it from the straps on her back. "There's still light out as it is only midday. If the structure's not too far, we should make haste to wrap up the survey."

"Indeed," Nova agreed and began to lead the group down a path by the watery streams. "It is crucial we gather enough data to form educated theories so we can establish a hypothesis that'll serve as a conclusion to our preliminary thesis on the study of Crystallis. Let's head out at once."

"Right behind you," Macarona replied and walked beside Lil as the two researchers in front took the lead in their walk. Heading down the path they were on, she glanced around the area and noticed some crocodiles were moving into position to ambush a bunch of flamingos that flew down for a drink. The reptiles were lying in wait, eager to literally sink their teeth into a meal that stayed unaware of their presence in the rivers, especially the one that caught Macarona's attention. Their bodies slowly maneuvered into place, closing in on the flamingos before suddenly pouncing upon their prey. Many of the poor birds managed to scamper and fly away, but a few were caught before getting pulled deeper into the reptiles' territory where they were eaten. A natural cycle of life, one that was still brutal all the same which the young angel didn't like too much, but didn't complain. It was for that very reason that she couldn't, and accepted it because it was simply the circle of life in which she couldn't do anything for the flamingos. They were in the crocodiles' diet; getting rid of them for their safety while risking her own life on their behalf interfered in this natural order. It was like how the angels and demons fought in a way, though on a scale that didn't equate to it due to the need for predators to balance out ecosystems by preserving certain populations by ensuring they didn't grow too high. With a silent sigh, Macarona averted her gaze elsewhere to other sights.

The small team continued to walk, passing ruins of old buildings that used to be homesteads and other structures from the old region this current region used to be a part of. Everything wasn't like it used to be, the decrepit places standing aloft from one another both near the group and also in the distance as well. Various items were strewn about, available for the taking by anyone who'd have been interested in claiming pieces of history. Some items could've been claimed by the teams on the major exhibition to Crystallis whereas others could've been left behind for random explorers and adventurers to pick up if they so wanted. Debris piled up in some spots, scattered like the ruins. Everything looked so abandoned and dead in this old state that the Neyrom Marsh could have been considered a cemetery of sorts. It kind of was already, for the souls of the departed already became Will-o'-the-Wisps in the past that now wandered this area. Along their way, the team encountered a lot of the spirits they were forced to slay in combat because they were being attacked by them.

Although Macarona herself couldn't partake in the defeat of Will-o'-the-Wisps within each of these skirmishes due to not wielding any kind of magic that could harm them as she was a melee fighter, she kept her energy stored for when they had to fight off the other denizens as well because they came close to a couple mounds. The fighting wasn't too difficult, nor too long, and she made sure to hole her own as needed to pull her own weight in those conflicts. As a guard for Nova and Froze, the young angelic grappler had to be on her toes in case anything wanted to attack them all.

Eventually an hour had passed and they were already a quarter of the way to the destination when the group happened upon an abandoned village. Approaching from a path by a river, Nova's eyes caught sight of a snake near a pole and watched as Lil scared it off by turning into bats which avoided the serpent's lunges at her. Quite outnumbered and realizing it couldn't get around to bite the others, the snake merely hissed and beat a retreat into a small hole underneath a wooden board that served as part of the foundation for one house. Observing the two young angels approach one of several statues surrounding a fountain to examine it, the Nephilim pulled a map out of her pouch with a compass. Holding the latter up to check which direction was north for a better grasp of their surroundings, Nova analyzed her map and traced a finger along the path they needed. "Okay, girls, we've reached one of the several landmarks on our journey to Crystallis. If any of you are tired of walking and fighting, I suggest you take a few minutes to catch a breather while I see if there's an easier mode of travel. Sit tight and we'll be off in a little bit after a brief sweep of this location."

"There's some kind of old cart on rails over there," the demonic lady pointed out once she reformed herself into her normal form. Ambling over to it with Froze, Lil stepped around the cart, investigating it for any signs of rust or anything else that might've indicated it was unfit to utilize. "Strange…this thing's still in use even if everything else here is in disrepair. Somebody must still live here even after the whole place fell apart. I wonder who could've fixed this thing up to get the cart running." Her attention averted to the east where the rails led, and she squinted to peer in that direction. "Hey, Nova, that water temple's in the east, right? Could we take this thing over there?"

"It is a much faster way and could shorten the walking distance by saving us valuable time it'd take to get to Crystallis on foot," Froze concurred, agreeing with the sense behind this idea as it was pretty sound. Yet she needed to raise a counterargument. "The cart might go down the whole way, or it may turn in a different direction." Fortunately, the angel already considered another part of the point that served as a factor in favor of taking it anyway. "Thankfully there's a lever attached which requires two people to push it in order for the cart to advance down the rails at a fair pace."

"Well, what're we waiting for? Let's take it!" Lil exclaimed in excitement, hopping aboard the cart and taking one handle of the lever. "Come on, Macarona, take the other side and let's go!"

"Hold on, it requires a key in order to unlock the mechanism," Froze instructed her to wait, using a sharp tone of voice to chide the demon for rushing ahead with the expedition. Boarding it, she knelt down and brushed some dust off of the mechanism where the keyhole was located. There wasn't much on it, though the young angel narrowed her eyes suspiciously because she knew there was some truth to Lil's remark about the thing still being in good condition to run trips to the east. "She's right, however, for the cart has been repaired. I don't know who or what could've done the repairs, though I'm willing to bet our unknown maintenance worker might have the key we need."

"But where could this person be?" Macarona asked. "Do you suppose the individual is back in Susent? We'd have to make a return trip to inquire about that and locate the person in that case." She took a deep breath and looked back at the entrance to this abandoned village, deep in thought.

"Perhaps, though it wouldn't hurt to investigate the area first," Nova commented to offer a suggestion as to what they could've done while they were here. "If the key isn't anywhere here, it might be best to either trudge on via walking or flying, or two of us could return to Susent and ask for the key while the other pair remains here. I'd say we should split up so one pair returns to town while the other investigates this place, but that'd be time-consuming for both teams. One wouldn't have enough members on hand to explore this place in a shorter amount of time than with four; an issue of the same factor is also a concern for the team heading back into Susent to ask about this."

"Then we'd better hope the key's here," her angelic colleague stated. "I believe it may be."

"What makes you say that, Froze?" Macarona asked, wondering why she thought it was in this village. Perhaps it was because they hoped it was somewhere around here, not anywhere else.

"Something's been installed in the cart," her friend explained briefly. "A portable generator that runs on magical electricity from the looks of the instructions and symbols written here. There are two slots: one for what might likely be the generator and another for a battery of some kind as a connection to the lever so it will turn on its own. We wouldn't need anyone to handle the lever."

"In other words," Lil surmised, liking the sound of Froze's idea. "We can rest for the whole ride over? We wouldn't need to worry about a thing, right?" The lady was beaming, possibly liking the thought better than having to waste energy and strength by pushing the lever to get them where they needed to go—or at least partway if it didn't travel down the entire route. Knowing Lil would have appreciated the chance to save up that energy for combat, Macarona couldn't help but giggle since she liked the sense of that as well. After all, they needed to rest and recollect strength for the rest of their expedition and in case they encountered any foes along the way. The ride was welcome to her and the others as both a faster mode of travel, and a place where they could sit and relax too.

"Yet the problem with that is the generator also being in town too with the key," Nova said, raising yet another barrier that may have impeded their progress. Stepping onto the cart to examine it too, the Nephilim archaeologist checked the intricate design of the slots and looked at what Froze was talking about when her colleague mentioned the instructions. "Oh, wait, this says it's in a main building here, the town hall where prominent residents of this village met to discuss legislation for the county. Public meetings would've also been held there too whenever the locals had problems."

"We've got problems," Lil joked, laughing at the pun she made with Macarona joining her as they both giggled. "Why not call a meeting of our own and let the populace vote on the bill." If anybody still lived here—not counting Will-o'-the-Wisps as they were dead souls who could not vote due to that as they wouldn't have been able to communicate their votes unless they happened to possess a living body—it would've been a bit funny to hold a town assembly to request the stuff. Of course, the place was abandoned; yet maybe they could've at least pretended to hold a meeting just for fun. Then again, time was of the essence and they needed both the key and the generator.

Nova took a deep breath, glancing over at the other buildings around them. "All puns aside for the time being, she is right. We should make our way to the town hall at once without delay to acquire what we need. If I'm not mistaken, it should be one of the larger buildings in this village."

"Though a lot are fairly big," Macarona pointed out. "Are there any more specific details?"

"Yes, that would be a concern here," Froze agreed, looking around and finding that several buildings already fit that detail. "Nova, as an archaeologist who analyzed other towns like this one, how many of them had town halls? Of whichever ones, what did the general appearance of every town hall look like when you saw them?" she inquired, delving into the topic for further details of the structure in question. She might've been on similar expeditions herself, though recalled getting called away to analyze other areas of the sites she worked on, hence why she wanted clarification. It was a longshot, though Froze hoped Nova could've likely known the answer and the specifics.

"Hold on, let me think," her colleague responded and shut her eyes, putting a finger to her chin as Nova considered it. The Nephilim certainly remembered those sites and the adventurers of her life on them, a few sticking out due to prominent endeavors and sticky situations she got herself into and subsequently out of in spite of some trouble. Yet her mind pored over the mundane sites, not forgetting those either because the discoveries made on even these occasions were amazing as fascinating intrigues of historical significance. "Let's see…" she murmured, racking her brain for past experiences of hers. "Based on evidence gathered from two other villages somewhat similar," she went on, "the town halls were rectangular and both had a bell above them in the center. These were also in towns that were once part of the White Heaven, and they were unlike churches which had bells on one side of the widths—either side when looking at the lengths, but on one half in any case regardless of where you gazed upon it from." Opening her eyes after stating the technicalities, Nova turned in the direction of the small paths and alleyways in this village of decrepit buildings. Staring above them in search of the town hall, the Nephilim finally found their target and pointed. "There, just several blocks away from here. We'll have to weave our way through the buildings."

"I don't suppose we'd have time to check each joint for any naysayers opposed to our plan for calling a meeting," Lil quipped and strode by her side, joining the Nephilim as both ladies took the lead while Macarona and Froze maintained the rear. "Feels like this'll be a small labyrinth."

"Maybe so, but in that case let's not linger too long and try to not get lost," Nova responded.

Watching the older girls strolling forward next to one another, Lil peppering Nova with so many questions regarding other expeditions she was on, Froze couldn't help but sigh. She was not opposed to bringing the demon along on the trip since Lil signed up for it with Macarona, yet there was another concern on her mind which bugged her. Ever since she first laid eyes on the foreigner, the young angel couldn't help but worry that her husband would've eventually discovered she left the Devil's Kingdom. Her concern was shared by everyone else who knew where she'd come from, mainly in Gray Village as word of her presence might not have spread to other regions of the Gray Garden yet. Although everyone else trusted her, including her friends and herself too, Froze could not deny the fact Satanick would have found out where his wife went upon learning she was absent. He could've done anything to reclaim and return her there, even going so far as to declare war for that end against the Gray Garden as it was certainly a possibility. In addition to getting his wife at the end of that war, as the victor he would also lay claim to any spoils he won if he was victorious. It was just a thought, yet Froze knew it was also a bad feeling as well because of a likely conflict.

"You okay, Froze?" Macarona inquired out of concern, noticing her friend was tensing up.

"I'm fine, Macarona," the other angel responded unsurely. "Just a bit worried, that's all."

"About what?"

"The Gentleman Devil. He must know Lil is away by now and is already planning to claim her again. He's probably already begun a search for her whereabouts that'll eventually lead here."

"Ah…" Macarona shared the same concern, one which worried her too and which Lil also acknowledged as well. She could understand why Froze felt that way and how everybody else was of the same mindset. Ivlis' invasion and the failed invasions undertaken by Siralos and Hastur too were still fresh in their minds. Though neither of the two participated in the latter two, they did put a stop to Ivlis which gave Macarona confidence that they could do it again to another Devil if that imagined war broke out between this world and the Devil's Kingdom. Nonetheless, she understood how Froze felt. "I see…that is an issue I cannot deny the existence of. I too worry about what may happen to us if we become too involved in the problems Lil's having with her husband. To be fair, however, we've got the Corporate Heaven as an ally since the Smoking God might aid us if conflict between us and the Gentleman Devil were to occur. He'd probably do it to preserve any ties of the commercial trade, but also to keep Mr. Satanick in line to ensure he doesn't cause too much chaos."

"That does help as does our own personal experiences, though the fact it could still happen worries me," Froze murmured quietly, trying to avoid speaking aloud in the event Lil overheard it from them. "I know she's aware of it too and will accept responsibility on her end, though I'm still feeling uncertain as to what may come as a result from her staying in our world. Her presence is a danger to us in that respect; a blunt phrase of putting that, though I don't know how else to express that. Lil might not be the direct cause of whatever disasters occur, though simply being here would be enough to lead trouble into the Gray Garden." The angelic girl breathed deeply, knowing there was a good reason to worry about all this as she just explained to make the fear of this issue known.

"I know, but we shouldn't blame Lil for that because it was something she did not mean to cause," Macarona stated on her foreign friend's behalf, taking Lil's side because she was her friend and would never abandon her. "She must be feeling the stress and pressure of having to be forced from her home. That remark she made about that first Will-o'-the-Wisp got me thinking about her and how she feels about that. Lil could've gone to see our other foreign friends, but they were just too busy for her which led her here. We're her only hope, Froze; she needs us real badly. We must do everything we can to help Lil get over these difficult hurdles as best she can with our support."

"I know, and I shall do everything I can do because I'd feel bad for having left someone to a horrible fate without anyone there," the other angel agreed to some extent. "Though there comes a time when limits shall be reached. We may keep her in the Gray Garden for quite a while, though what will we do then when we attempt to handle this neutrally from an impartial standpoint? Lady Etihw and Lord Kcalb stated they would discuss probably finding another world she could stay in while they provide diplomatic assistance to her. That might be the best we could do at that point."

"Maybe so, but I for one am not going to abandon her, Froze," Macarona remarked with a lot of confidence. "I'll stay by her side no matter what, and would even willingly go with her when she does go to another world in that case. As her friend, I shall endeavor to help her as best I could to the best of my abilities. She'll need that from me, and I shall be more than happy to be there by her side until this whole thing is resolved for the better," she went on, full of resolve to help Lil.

"Whoa, careful now!" the two angels heard the demonic lady shout as she yanked Nova to the side the moment a gunshot rang out before the fatal bullet made contact with the Nephilim. "It might just be me, but I do believe we've arrived just in time for a warm reception from an assembly already discussing permission for our usage of the stuff we need!" Immediately joining them right behind the cover the older ladies seized to avoid more blows, the angels both glanced over into the nearest shard of a broken window that was large enough to show what threatened their progress in this area. Gremlins, an entire pack of them converging from within the adjacent buildings, the tiny creatures scrambling to the roofs to pull tarps off shoddily constructed airplanes that did not appear at all dangerous or detrimental to their opponents. If anything, they were being minor annoyances.

"Well, I think we've found our benefactors," Macarona commented, turning to watch some of the little planes attempt to take off before dropping to the ground in a display of comical hilarity. She couldn't suppress a slight chuckle at the failure even though she felt bad for that, feeling sorry for them because their efforts to construct good planes came up too short—pun not intended. Still, she couldn't very well get out of cover because the Gremlins were using toy BB guns they must've scavenged from wherever they got those things. The shots wouldn't have killed them, though that ammunition they were using—the standard rounds in those toy guns—were seriously very painful.

"And I think they've found their argument is a little short of counterpoints," Lil quipped in amusement, sidling closer to Macarona so she could watch the funny spectacle of Gremlins flying. For relatively short distances ranging from about a few centimeters up to an actual inch, of course. "We don't even need to ask; all they have to do is complain and whine until they give in." Unable to stop herself from laughing, the demon thought the chirps and babbling of their language wasn't something that could be ignored because it was just too funny to hear them bicker and screech for a better assault. And, since she couldn't resist the thought either, how frail and pathetic the attempt was. "Just sit tight, girls, and eventually they shall all grow tired of trying to attain new heights."

"Can we not insult the opposition?" Froze asked sharply, a bit irritated by how they weren't worried one bit about offending the Gremlins. "We still need that key and the portable generator."

"Quit being such a worrywart, Froze!" Lil giggled, playfully ruffling the angel's head. "It's not like we've got mere minutes left on our expedition. If you're that worried about the time, allow me." Saying so, the lady turned into a flock of bats that multiplied and swarmed the Gremlins, thus frightening them all into submission because Lil immediately broke all their toys into pieces since Froze evidently couldn't wait to continue their expedition to Crystallis. Moments later Lil finished.

Nova blinked, rubbing her eyes while cautiously peeking her head out of cover to see how the demonic lady was doing. Surprised at how successful Lil was, the Nephilim emerged moments after the demon was done, impressed by how fast that counterattack was. "Gee…" she murmured, gazing at the sight of so many poor Gremlins who actually scrambled to plead for mercy as they've all begun to bow before Lil. "My, you've certainly brought along quite a strong ally, Macarona."

"Oh, believe me, this is but the least she can actually do," Macarona commented with a bit of a smile on her face, aware of just how powerful Lil was as she knew about her strength firsthand.

"Thankfully she wrapped this up in due time," Froze remarked, glad for the speedy attack.

…

 **And so here is another chapter that emphasizes a bit more non-canon lore of the Gray Garden. As someone who likes archaeology and anthropology, I felt a bit of historical context was a good idea to further implement by going over a kind of survey that might be done with both fields in mind. I may not know too much about it, but I believe the survey in this chapter is something that could be done on an actual expedition. Feel free to share opinions about it.**

 **As for references to other game series, Crystallis and Nova are both allusions to Final Fantasy, specifically Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy. It's a series in Final Fantasy that is made up of six games, including Final Fantasy XIII which I have played a bit of, but didn't really like too much due to how linear the game felt. The character of Roxas who's referenced as a historical character is named after Roxas from the Kingdom Hearts series. These series of games were both made by Square Enix with Disney Interactive Studios helping to produce Kingdom Hearts. I shall put the disclaimers for these popular game series below, though not for the Elder Scrolls series because the disclaimer for that is in the previous chapter. As I've named Stenvarrdo after Stenvar, a minor mercenary in Skyrim, I wanted to point this out.**

 **Regarding other references apparent in the names of places, I've looked to two of the counties in England when naming locations. Susent is named after Sussex and Kent with the Neyrom Marsh being named for the Romney Marsh, a wetland in Kent and East Sussex. I've also named D'dyl after Lydd, an electoral ward and town in Romney Marsh, mainly Kent as this town is in this province of England. You can learn more about these places on Wikipedia.**

 **The mythological creatures also mentioned can be found on Wikipedia too. They are the Boggarts, household spirits or evil genius loci spirits of marshes, fields, and other terrain types in English folklore. Stymphalian Birds come from Greek mythology and were thought to be pets of Ares, the God of War, which had all migrated to a swamp in either Stymphalia, or perhaps Arcadia, where the population of these man-eating birds increased. Gremlins are associated with airplanes they tamper with due to their mischievous nature and a preference for mechanical mishaps. Will-o'-the-Wisps are atmospheric ghost lights travelers may notice in places like marshes, bogs, and swamps while possibly being enticed by the flickering lights to stray from their paths. Swamp monsters are considered to be a normal characteristic of a lot of fiction with elements of fantasy in it, and I suppose Mud Men could be similar to them. This latter creature is actually not from any mythology as it comes mainly from Castlevania.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts series; they're owned by Square Enix and Disney Interactive Studios (for helping with the production of Kingdom Hearts). I do not own the Castlevania series either as it is actually owned by Konami.**


	9. Chapter Nine: The Gremlin Skaal

"Wow, so cool!" the little creation murmured in awe, staring up at a medium sized ball that Etihw constructed from light magic and geomancy, producing a solid crystal that formed into one of the various diamonds scattered throughout the world. "It looks like a Christmas tree ornament!"

"Does it?" the Goddess asked with a smile, it being a rhetorical question because she used the diamond crystals as decorations on Christmas trees and other things too. "You must be fond of decorating the tree when Christmas is around, Crea. Here, why I don't I give you this one as a gift from me to you as a token of our friendship?" Holding the magical object out with her eyes closed, Etihw maintained the smile while the young creation—whom she didn't believe was a creation as the girl's innocence and cute appearance won the Goddess over—accepted the present from her.

"Thank you very much, Eti!" Crea replied happily, beaming happily after receiving the gift which made her happy because she would cherish this item forever. This was a special present she got from a Goddess representing the very first time she interacted with such an omnipotent, divine figure. As such, Crea had to be extra careful with it so it wouldn't break. When she addressed this Goddess now, she had referred to her by the nickname Kcalb used frequently to shorten her name. The Devil didn't mind, discussing foreign affairs with Envi as the two girls chatted amicably about a wide array of topics in the span of the short hour the Goddess and Devil had available for them.

"Why, you're very welcome, Crea. It was a pleasure meeting you," Etihw responded when the timer on her desk beeped, indicating it was time for a meeting she had to attend. Picking it up, the Goddess sighed somewhat irritatingly because she hated work. She had just made a new friend and wanted to spend time with this little girl by playing with her. Work took time away from that, though there was hardly anything she could've done when Kcalb was seated at the other desk near hers and could use some of his powers to restrain her from escaping the responsibilities Etihw had to handle and maintain on a daily basis. Her daily basis was always work since her laziness always put them back way behind schedule, yet it was amazing how the staff were able to get around that hindrance to make progress. The thought was enough to make Etihw consider putting that idea out there to let Kcalb know they didn't need her; unfortunately, the plan would have backfired anyway as it usually did, especially with the camera she couldn't tamper with watching her. Even if Etihw could mess with its configuration to avoid work and letting others watch her gripe about work, she didn't know where to begin because she didn't know where the manual—if there was one—was.

"What's wrong, Eti?" Crea asked, a bit disappointed that their time together was up. "Work holding you back?" Her smile became a frown displaying that disappointment, her cheer gone.

"I'm afraid so," the Goddess commented, hearing the sound of Kcalb's pager also beeping. Knowing Crea was sad they couldn't get to play together for a bit longer, Etihw simply smiled due to thinking of an idea that could allow her to spend more time together. "Tell you what, Crea, why don't you and Envi go make a few appointments to come back and visit the castle. If he's so busy with his work at times, I can always make time to watch over you for him, and if I'm not available I can instruct a friend of mine to stay and befriend you too. How's that? Sound good, Crea?"

The little creation's joyous smile returned, beaming happily through her mask as she gave Etihw a hug the Goddess happily returned. "Yay! Thank you, Eti!" she cheered, looking forward to additional opportunities she could have to play with her new omnipotent friend in this world.

"And once again you're very welcome. I had a lot of fun getting to meet you today, Crea," the Goddess replied with a smile and gently rubbed the top of Crea's head, showing the young girl with plenty of friendly affection she showed to other little children like her. "I'm sorry I must go."

"It is okay, Eti, we can play together again next time!" the creation smiled to cheer her up, somehow a bit aware of Etihw's hatred for work as evident in how the Goddess reacted when that timer of hers beeped. Her childlike joy made Etihw happy, and the Goddess could only giggle with the thought of playing with Crea again in mind since it meant she got a chance to avoid work once more like she usually did. What didn't cross her mind, however, was how easily Kcalb consented, letting these two foreigners meet the two of them and interact with them too. Etihw just attributed that to the Devil letting her have a break to please the girl, taking a break himself to talk with Envi, the demon saying his goodbyes to Kcalb and coming over to take Crea's hand. "See you later!"

"Yes, we'll see each other again, real soon!" Etihw replied happily, waving to them as they waved back before leaving the office. "Well, that was fun," she added half to herself, half to Kcalb since he was still here as well, getting ready for a meeting he had to attend too. "I must say it I've enjoyed this little surprise. She was such a nice girl and I had a lot of fun drawing with her today." Turning to address Kcalb just as Wodahs showed up to deliver some files, she spoke up to ask the Devil for his opinion on the pair. "What about you, Kcalb? You looked interested in Envi's chat."

"Ah, did you both receive a visit from somebody while at work?" Wodahs asked as Kcalb nodded, speaking up to answer his younger brother's question while voicing his thoughts on them.

"Indeed, a pair of foreigners who've arrived in our world from another underworld not too long ago. They were a good sort, very unlike many demons in other hells. It was intriguing talking with Envi about foreign affairs and other topics like history, literature, mathematics, business, etc. I know Eti enjoyed getting a break from all the work she's been doing, if only for a short while."

"I like to think I've actually earned that break," Etihw chimed in with her own opinion.

"For once, considering how you usually don't," Wodahs chuckled at her expense, the taunt also making his older brother chuckle too while Etihw made a face at them. "All kidding aside, I'd like to know why you entertained them when you're were busy. Did they have an appointment?"

"No, Crea said it was a surprise visit," the Goddess answered him honestly.

"Yes, they confirmed that," Kcalb assented, easily agreeing with that part of what they said when the two foreigners first showed up in their office an hour ago. "Though there was something that bothered me. It wasn't their behavior or attitudes since I could sense they were good and kind."

Etihw blinked, wondering about what he could've meant and feeling like he might've been thinking about something negative regarding them. He sometimes found negative thoughts in a lot of things before Ivlis' invasion even after they made peace, though was still quite nice despite that rough nature of his which was only a defensive maneuver brought on by his past shyness. Yet she didn't think he said that to insult their guests after they already left. "What do you mean, Kcalb?"

"I could sense they were being honest, though they didn't seem to be telling the entire truth about where they came from," Kcalb went on. "I also sensed a familiarity to Satanick on Envi."

"I see…" Etihw murmured softly, keeping her voice low too like Kcalb so the guests would not have heard them through the door if they were both eavesdropping on this part of the dialogue. "So, does that mean what I think it means? That the Gentleman Devil finally located his wife?"

"It might be the case, so we'll have someone look into their presence," Wodahs stated.

"I heard Crea ask if there were any vital foreign diplomats here," Kcalb said. "It was when Envi and I first mentioned foreign customs by mentioning otherworldly emissaries. She sounded disappointed when she heard we were not entertaining anyone of the sort because no emissaries are here. Just foreign tourists and Lil. She might've only been asking because she wanted to meet other foreigners like her who may have had ties to upper classes," he concluded based on that idea.

"Then if they have ties to the Gentleman Devil, surely a likely conclusion we might reach from this is a plan to retrieve their Devil's wife by collecting her in secret as they may not want to draw attention to their presence and activities in the Gray Garden," Wodahs remarked quietly, his voice just loud enough for only the Goddess and Devil to hear. His conclusion was a sound one, for this idea was the only one they could think of because it was the only one most applicable to the foreign visitors. "It sounds like the one Crea might not be involved, but this Envi fellow might."

"Precisely, which is why we must keep an eye on them to observe their movements as well as any actions they take. Security will have to be increased considering how delicate and dangerous the situation might become, hence why we should tread cautiously to ensure we don't cause trouble for them because they could perceive that as us being the aggressors towards them," Kcalb said to put forth a plan on how to handle the issue. "We should instruct a few nightblades to watch them."

"Yes, that would be for the best at this time," Etihw agreed. "Wodahs, gather some to give them the following instruction:" she added, turning to the Head Angel. "Tell them they're to watch the demons known as Crea and Envi to observe their actions and search for any other agents of the Gentleman Devil, Satanick, who might also have come to the Gray Garden. Also inform them they should also be aware of wherever Lil might be so they can guard her from them in case they strike."

"Understood, I shall head out at once," the Head Angel replied affirmatively and was about to warp out when Kcalb spoke up to provide an additional detail that might have been helpful.

"Stenvarrdo called to inform me that a small team of four headed out to the Neyrom Marsh near Susent in the adjacent region of Walbury. One of his archaeologists, Nova, led the team with Froze assisting her. They're heading out to perform a preliminary investigation at the water temple of Crystallis, and have a couple guards in their entourage. Stenvarrdo said he and Maurice planned on hiring seven adventurers to serve that purpose, but only two—Macarona and Lil—showed up."

"Then we must make haste to ensure Satanick's forces do not learn of their location," Etihw uttered, looking back to Wodahs with an additional order. "Wodahs, make it clear no info is to be turned over to Envi and Crea or anyone else who asks. They must not discover where Lil may be."

"Very well, though we cannot stop the two of them from visiting the departments," Wodahs mentioned, making that problem with the order clear. "They may get suspicious if they are barred from touring the archaeology and anthropology centers. Only that information must not be told."

"I understand, but please get to it at once," the Goddess spoke quickly, gesturing him to go so the Head Angel could leave and handle the issue right away. She sighed when he warped away, putting a hand to her head because she didn't like how another possible invasion might have been underway with Satanick, the Gentleman Devil, being at the helm of this one. "Damn…" she spoke quietly while Kcalb headed out to that meeting he was needed at, "Ivlis, Siralos, Hastur…and now Satanick's probably going to attack the Gray Garden as well." It was only a thought, one she didn't hope would ever come true because she wanted to keep the people of this world safe as with their world itself. Plus she had actually come to like Crea a lot and wished the poor girl wasn't involved.

…

"You imbecile! Do you have any idea what you've done?! You just risked jeopardizing our mission by going to them!" Anten cursed the novice assassin, hissing at him from the shadow of a tree the three assassins were under. Crea was playing nearby, diving into flowers to catch some of the butterflies she saw, completely and totally oblivious to the conversation her caretaker was right in the middle of having with his coworkers. "They could begin to suspect why we're even here!"

The goat demon shut his eyes, leaning back against the tree with a sigh escaping his mouth. "I've not said anything of who we really to the White Goddess and Black Devil, nor did at all say which underworld we originated from. Besides, the stones Mr. Satanick provided us before we left are supposed to shield us from their discovery of our intentions and mission. Granted they are still prototypes my associates back in Castle Flankenstein are still working on, though at the very least we could formulate a story that we purchased them as souvenirs while passing through the Devil's Kingdom if they do get suspicious of us." Envi opened his eyes, observing Crea's playfulness with a smile before the smile was a frown again. "And please keep your voice down, Anten. We cannot be heard here, remember? Someone—perhaps the authorities—might overhear our conversation."

"He is correct," Daimonji concurred in favor of their new member's argument, displeasing Anten by siding with the goat demon. "You must be patient, Anten. You know complications may arise that can be dealt with appropriately once we've analyzed the issues and conclude on a means to maintain our secrecy while ensuring the problems are resolved safely so we can remain secret."

"When we're assassinating somebody, yeah, not when we can't assassinate anyone!" Anten retorted bitterly, getting fed up with this mission. He much rather preferred slaying somebody than letting a target live; it was such poor business in terms of what assassins like themselves did. Anten would've gladly slew a target after much careful planning both prior to and during missions. While he would've been happy to be patient under that circumstance, letting Lil live was not anything he could feel comfortable with. "We're assassins, not some retrievers fetching fools from anywhere!"

"We have our orders, so follow them," the other demon within the shadows commented in an authoritative tone to silence their companion before addressing Envi. "Was Miss Lil inside?"

Envi shook his head. "We didn't see her; the Black Devil and White Goddess confirmed it when the matter was brought up to them, and I'm positive they were not lying about that matter."

"Then do you suppose they're covering for her if they're aware of who we are?" Daimonji inquired for the novice's opinion since the goat demon did meet with them. "We didn't see her go out of the castle grounds. If she left before our arrival with us unaware, the lady may be in Gray Village." It was the only other theory he could think of since he knew Lil liked populated areas as she was a very social lady. Then again, he supposed she might've been on her way elsewhere too. Where exactly he wasn't entirely sure, though Gray Village seemed like the closest bet for now.

"I don't know if they are, but I do believe she isn't staying in the castle," Envi replied and stretched his arms up in the air before resting them behind his head. "She isn't in the hotel and we would know she would be. When Crea and I were walking up to the castle's entrance, we saw nine people using a device called a warp slate to teleport into Gray Village. We learned about that when Crea got interested in the thing, leading to an explanation from a couple angels who also used it."

"Which explains how the lady got past Daimonji and I undetected," Anten theorized since for once he actually could agree with Envi. "Yet neither of you saw her inside at all when she—"

"Could've been there, yes," the goat demon admitted, finishing for the other demon. "Crea wanted to see the rulers, and I felt it was a good way of making a first impression despite the risk."

"Making yourself known in a positive light to those who might suspect you of being within the dark…" Daimonji murmured. He may not have shown it, but he was impressed by the forward thinking Envi displayed. "I see...and I presume you acknowledged the consequences of us rescuing you both if needed," he added, again displeasing Anten because of how lenient he appeared to be.

"Absolutely," was all Envi needed to say as it was an honest answer that also irked Anten.

"Hmm…you do have the makings of an intelligent assassin, Envi," Daimonji commented.

"Though your competence is yet to be determined," the other veteran hissed at the novice.

"I understand," the goat demon acknowledged their remarks. "So, what's the plan now?"

"Simple," Daimonji stated clearly, already prepared with the order he had in mind. "You're to continue upholding the perspective of you and Crea coming across as tourists as you search for Miss Lil. Anten and I shall continue to observe you from the shadows while keeping a lookout for her as well from our separate vantage points which shall be near your location. The two of you are going to be on the move, but so will we to cover the entire areas around you in a circular fashion."

"Soon enough we'll find out where that bitch disappeared to and drag her ass back into the Devil's Kingdom by force," Anten commented in a threatening tone of voice directed at Lil, though she wasn't around to hear the old assassin bodyguard assigned to her by her husband in the past.

"Again, patience, Mr. Anten, we must handle this discreetly," Envi murmured to him.

"And you must really shut the hell up, newbie! You're treading on dangerous territory here, especially as you think of yourself as all high and mighty compared to us veterans!" Anten hissed.

"I've said nothing of the sort, nor did I imply it," Envi stated calmly in his own defense.

"Enough, Anten, don't blow our cover," Daimonji added, displeasing Anten yet again.

…

They could feel the wind blowing by them, brushing their hair as it swayed gently in a soft flurry of breezes while the cart traveled along the railway. Heading east towards Crystallis, Froze's eyes glanced over to the horizon which she stared critically at to examine the scenery for signs any threats could've posed to indicate risks the threats would've caused. The view was very pretty with the afternoon sun hanging overhead, nary a cloud in the blue sky above the marshland they passed by. It was almost like riding a train, seated on balconies in between some passenger cars where the passengers could sit and chat while enjoying brisk outdoors on railway journeys. Seated on a side of the cart next to Nova as Lil and Macarona claimed the other side to watch a different angle of Neyrom Marsh, her hood lowered to let her blond hair flow freely with the mask down as it began to get a tad itchy, the young angelic researcher had been eating her lunch which she saved for now. They all preserved their lunches for when they could take a short break, though hadn't eaten before due to searching for the key and portable generator which were in the tiny hands of local Gremlins.

Turning towards the handle which the lever was attached to, Froze watched their guide for the time being, the head Gremlin of the pack, sit atop it calmly in a state of peace. A small pipe in his mouth ejected some herbal smoke, the smell made from five herbs: violets; scullcaps; passion flowers, gardenias, and meadowsweets. The scent was very soothing, peaceful, and it calmed their concerns. Froze recognized the individual scents somewhat, hence why she could correctly deduce what they were because of how proficient Yosafire was as an alchemist with a wide array of herbs for all sorts of remedies. Her demonic friend used the same kinds of herbs, so Froze felt quite sure her assumptions about the herbs were correct and she was also reassured by how safe they were to use from remarks Yosafire made and also by Mozig's additional reassurances about their safety.

The tiny Gremlin leader was an old figure in his tribe, wise and respected by them because of wisdom and strong leadership among the other Gremlins. His skin was soft, being a bit wrinkled due to his age, patches of hair on his body making him look like a furry hamster, gerbil, or guinea pig. A white stripe of hair atop his head, somewhat like a Mohawk which had been out of style for centuries in this world whereas in others it was popular, was a sign of his status as the tribe's head. Mozig was humming a tune as he was smoking the herbal ingredients, his voice being a comforting sound that soothed the riders. Froze had to admit this little furry ball of brown hair, while old and wise, was actually kind of adorable because of how regal he came across as from a primitive view. Not that she would mention this aloud for it would embarrass her, though what impressed her more was the fact that he successfully cultured an entire tribe of gremlins and modernized them slightly. An amazing trait of his that went well with these elements was how well he understood their speech and spoke it too, having become fluent in this world's language and the international language too.

"You know," she spoke up to address their guide, finding time to comment on these aspects, "I would never have thought creatures like you would've been able to civilize yourselves like you and your tribe have done, Skaal Mozig. Your handling of them from what I've seen when you had settled your kinsmen down was most impressive, for I have read various accounts describing your kind as being vicious and mischievous. You've must've done something to convert them to peace."

"It is merely the doing of experience that led my people to the discovery of how they would always be hunted as retribution for their sins and words from our very first Skaal who did convert them as you say, young one," the Gremlin Skaal spoke in a deep, raspy tone when replying shortly after exhaling a ring of smoke from his mouth and looking through it as a way of divining the next occurrence of their future along this trip. "When the Gremlins of Norges first gathered during what you humanoid folk refer to as your unnamed war between the Light and Dark, there was chaos and disunity among us. Arguments were made from all sides, each demanding they govern our society. All wanted it to flourish, none could concur on a means of accomplishing it. War then erupted, the conflict engulfing us as we fought for the various beliefs each individual followed. We could have become an entirely peaceful civilization, small as it was, or we may have warred against the folks of Light and Dark and Twilit Dusk for supremacy. In the end all sides and from amongst ourselves realized we were not progressing towards a solution and settled on a compromise. We were to live in peace amongst one another and defend our home against what the humanoid folk send after us."

"Wow…impressive for a population much like yourselves," Nova remarked in awe of him and his people, how they arrived at a peaceful solution for their benefit while protecting themselves from other creatures and people that sought to harm them. "But what exactly led to an established order of tribal Gremlins? Was it the hunts your people sought to escape from, or the conflicts that threatened your lives? Surely something had to have united them into a unified tribal civilization."

"If by conflicts, Dame Nova, you mean the wars and hunts included, yes, you are correct," Mozig confirmed it from her, taking whiffs from his pipe again before relaying more of this aspect to the party. "Prior to settling, we were malevolent and stealthy in our acts of aggression, passively or violently depending on what our plans and actions were. Such conduct garnered disdain and the demand to hunt us down for disrupting other social civilizations like the Light and Dark—the latter primarily because that was where we originated from until migrating to Neyrom Marsh for peace. Yet we warred against other packs that have not organized into tribes like we have on our journey, the tribes themselves also conflicting for various purposes each believed in. Separately, we had an assortment of religions and cultures we didn't know were alike until analyzation and interpretation of them led to the unification of these ideals into one pantheon and social order we all followed."

"What sort of omnipotent beings and spirits does your tribe follow?" Macarona asked since she was curious as to what their religious customs were like. "Do you follow old practices and also rituals that keep you in touch and in tune with this divine and spiritual energy as well as the land?"

Mozig nodded, freely turning over the information so long as it could've led them to better understand his people so that the tribe he led wouldn't have to fear angels, demons, and Nephilim anymore. "That we do, for the land calls us and we obey its summons when natural affinities along with the elements dictate our laws and natural ways. We do not follow the worships of deities and Devils, what lesser entities of the Light and Dark like yourselves refer to as your respective leaders. Our figures are older, natural, and ancient from an existence when worlds were not as old as they are now. Our stronghold follows many diverse spirits in our pantheon, like the Flott Jeger who is referred to by outsiders of the Light and Dark like you as a sort of Great Hunter in your tongue."

"The Flott Jeger?" Lil murmured, wondering what the historical significance of that figure was. "What sort of hunter was this guy? Somebody who lived off the land and hunted for sport?"

"Not for sport, Dame Lil, but only insofar as to provide for the tribe," the Skaal responded, going over the importance of this particular hunter. "In the Flott Jeger's time and our own as ways of our great ancestors have been passed down to us, the Gremlins of Norges would hunt down the wilderness' livestock only for the sake of providing our kin with nourishment. We always respect the natural world, for we live in it just as the other inhabitants do and make use of it for their own needs as do we. The Flott Jeger was the greatest marksman of our tribe; after his passing, we have deified him the same way we do for all of the significant Gremlins who distinguished themselves. He is the most influential of those in our pantheon according to our ancestors, hence why we heed his instructions because it was him who led our tribe to the Neyrom Marsh, our homeland for many years and countless centuries. It was also him who unified the many tribes into one settlement."

"What of your trade routes if any are present with our society, and why do you alone speak our language?" Froze inquired, pondering if those two traits of this tiny Gremlin civilization in the Gray Garden were connected in some way. In her mind, she thought the reason why Gremlins like this shaman here spoke the language was to hopefully avoid problems with other inhabitants. The fact they possessed modern technological equipment like the generator was evidence of what may have been a network of trade between them and society, probably Susent because it was nearby.

"There aren't trade routes, Dame Froze; everything's taken from the wilderness. We do not trade with the other folk of this world, though only interact on occasions when we desperately seek to discourage others from trespassing on our territories. There are times such as our previous bout with you all when we are forced to fight; past experience taught us that only you who speak this language and an international one could listen to us. We learned a great deal about these languages from manuscripts our people found in the past to learn how to speak. Many a Gremlin in the tribe doesn't know the languages, for only one Hoyttaler—speaker in your tongue—is allowed to read the books and become a Vis Mann who will lead the tribe and lecture in assemblies in certain sites of crucial significance to our faiths. At times in conflict with outsiders, we recovered items which you may consider stolen; we acknowledge they are, but do not return them since the outsiders have not ever returned to reclaim them. As such items are no longer valuable to them, we claim it all as our own. You might call it villainy if the objects were significant, though the trinkets are small. It could be referred to as mischief in that case, but we only took the stuff after the outsiders fled our territory, henceforth they are spoils of conflicts we have achieved victory in for the tribe's sake."

"Which explains why adventurers and guards are sent out to retrieve those goods when the items are missed by the property owners," Nova surmised, coming to a comprehensive conclusion regarding why this population of intelligent, aloof Gremlins was considered part of the population of Gremlins as a whole. "But that would mean your people would be harmed unless an agreement is reached via negotiations once the items you stole are given back, otherwise you'll all be slain."

"Gremlins not of our flock, those who ransack our stronghold in raids," Mozig explained, "are mostly responsible for that. They assault travelers like yourselves and even our tribe for many would-be rewards they seek if victorious in battle against us. They are hostile, though not difficult to vanquish due to their unmodern culture. It is more primitive than ours, but like us in the past."

"And yet a few things could still go missing because of you," Froze put forth a counterpoint against the Skaal's argument, the accusation coming across as drastic even though it was still true.

"I shall not speak to that charge aside from confirming it, though it is part of our ways."

"Ways that essentially paint you as petty thieves," the demonic lady in their group said, for she too agreed that theft was still theft all the same. "Whatever your ways may be, old man, you're no better than any other thief. You claim you want peace, but do nothing to discourage thievery."

"It is in our blood, and we've managed to avoid the folk of your world whenever they have come in search of the stolen goods we seized in victory over outsiders. Sometimes we hide in low places in shadows, other times we pin the blame on Gremlins not of the tribe," Mozig went on. He dared not argue against all the members of this small group he was forced to escort to Crystallis. They destroyed the weapons his stronghold made use of—well, only Lil did, proving she was more than capable of crippling them; perhaps she was too powerful for the whole tribe to fight. It meant Mozig and his people were no longer in any position to espouse their customs on others while they demanded for those customs to be accepted. He and his tribe were defeated, thus leaving him with no choice but to cater to their whims for the time being while they were on their expedition here.

"No wonder why living contradictions like yourself are always getting into trouble. You're talking about the honor of your fellow kinsmen here, but don't make any effort to blend in or make peace with others who inhabit the Gray Garden," Lil went on, criticizing them in a critical tone of voice while glaring at the Skaal. "I don't give a shit about what you use stolen goods for since they don't belong to you—period. If you're going to be the little thieving shits you always are although acknowledging that, the guards might as well send in armies to overrun your sorry asses and throw you all in prison for theft. I don't even feel sorry for wrecking your shit; you clearly deserved it."

"That's a little harsh, don't you think, Lil?" Macarona intervened, trying to calm the lady.

"True, though how else can I put it?" her demonic friend replied, being nicer to her instead of giving the Gremlin Skaal the same treatment. "Thieves are still thieves no matter however they portray themselves to others who perceive them in any light. Although the sentence can be lessened depending on how minor the crime and theft is, perhaps even being pardoned in some cases, there is still the need for justice, Macarona. It is understandable sometimes, I will admit; not all the time, though, because acknowledging it as a crime is one thing. Continuing to commit it is another story entirely for the sake of one's own benefit, even if it is for the good of a peaceful group that wants to be left alone. Old man Mozig says his people live off the land, yet they steal things too. If they live off the land, they would only hunt; however, they also live off things they steal in battles."

"Meaning the theft isn't necessary at all," the young angelic grappler concurred. She could understand where Lil was coming from and was in full agreement with it, but still felt she couldn't be too harsh on the Gremlins. "They might deserve punishment for it, though belittling them does not really make us better than them as we could come across as being too hard on them when only the charges levied should suffice. The Gremlins may have stolen things from our people, but we're not so cold as to insult them for being thieves in the first place even if they say they won the stuff."

"Fair enough, Macarona," Lil easily consented to that logic without arguing since she fully agreed with her angelic friend. "I'll not say anything more of it other than that they deserved it."

"Your tongue is critical, yet not without the truth within your words, Dame Lil," the Skaal commented to concede the point. "We are Gremlins; we are a mischievous population; that I shall not deny because it is part of who we are and always have been. Our ways cannot change as they're a part of our nature, so we may indeed be the thieves you make us out as. Gremlins of Norges were not always the civilized, yet tribal society we are now, though our roots remain prevalent as it is a component of our ancestry. This is how it's always been, and we shan't go against our ancestors."

"Even if your ancestors didn't give two shits from a rat's ass about their descendants getting caught for thievery, thus posing a risk to your way of life and future generations of your tribe," Lil added coldly, crossing her arms briefly before moving one to brush hair out of her eyes to observe the scenery passing by. Her gaze fluttered over to the east and she could make out a line of gnarled trees on the horizon as they were getting closer to their destination as Mozig confirmed back at the abandoned village following their victory over the Gremlins which led to him admitting defeat and offering to be an escort for the ride. "Though enough about your history of thievery regardless of whether you stole or won things. You must use this rail line to travel to the water temple often."

"Yes, to offer up sacrifices to it that walks the land and swims the waters," Mozig stated to explain another part of the tribe's culture. "We prepare ritual sacrifices for our deities and monsters that threaten our tribe, you see. The beast up ahead is one such predator of the latter, having claimed the location you travel towards. It has threatened my people many times due to its proximity by an area we hunt in. Only by offering it live sacrifices have we been able to appease its hunger to stop its killings of us; my assumption is that you're on your way to present sacrifices too, or be them."

"Wait, you're actually planning on betraying us?" Froze raised her voice angrily, upset that the shaman brought the idea up if he did make them sacrifices. "You think we're your sacrifices?"

"Of course, your offense is quite unwarranted though since that is what we usually do," the Skaal answered honestly, aware that he was placing himself in a terrible position in which his foes would turn against him in retaliation. "We have always used this rail line to offer sacrifices to this great beast, hence why your usage of it and the place you wish to go have led to that conclusion."

"You do realize speaking this idea of a possible treason from your end can backfire, right?" Nova asked, not really worried because she and her team could possibly handle whatever creature lurked at Crystallis. They were pretty skilled and came prepared, aware that something dangerous could've happened because of any creatures that called this land their home. "It's murder after all."

"Only in your perspective of it," Mozig replied simply without any further elaboration.

"Well, our perspective and yours have proven you're nothing but thieves and murderers in what may be considered your gods forsaken marsh," Lil spat at him, the truth coming out as venom. "You lead us to our deaths and you'll have an entire world against you. People of this world shan't forgive that, old man, and they'll come after you, sending armies in to crush your tribe's existence."

"Then what would you have us do, Dame Lil?" the Gremlin inquired, willing to make some sort of compromise on behalf of his people to spare them that fate so they could continue to live a peaceful lifestyle; albeit with customs that may have come across as thievery and murder to anyone who wasn't a member of the tribe. "Our tribe survived for generations, years. Why evoke hostilities towards us in spite of the confession I offered when we can cooperate? I have admitted to what all outsiders can refer to as thievery, and I shall also admit that you can call our sacrifices murder."

"Cooperate?" Froze repeated the word in the form of a question, adding no words to it due to her disbelief that Skaal Mozig wanted to work with them in exchange for some kind of benefits for both parties. She was quite skeptical of whatever arrangement he wanted to make; so were Lil and Nova since they too were suspicious about it. "You do realize we're here for our own objective and not to fight your battles for you. What makes you think we would agree to working with you?"

"Because it is the only alternative—nay, the only solution to ensure my tribe's survival."

"We can slay whatever resides in Crystallis, but not for you," Nova stated because she did not think there was anything in it for her team. "This ride is your apology for attacking us back in your home when we inadvertently trespassed along our way to the water temple. We've made our apologies to you and did not seek to seize anything of yours except for borrowing the items needed to make this cart your people repaired function. Our interest lies in relics and other evidence of the archaeological and anthropological elements of history which can be found at Crystallis. It is why we've come to Neyrom Marsh, if only as a preliminary survey of the site to analyze dangers along with some pieces for an initial investigation of the premises. What could you possibly provide?"

"Um, let's not be too hasty to refuse a peace offering of sorts," Macarona intervened while standing up and stepping over to the handle so she could face Mozig. "Skaal Mozig, if you would be so kind as to inform us of what this creature that resides in the water temple is like, we can slay it easier than if we were not aware of what manner of beast it is prior to our arrival. Understanding it is vital to success in our mission, and while our doing so would benefit both parties, you have to offer up something in exchange as thanks if we succeed. I propose a solution that can ensure your tribe may continue to live in harmony with the lifestyle you've established: once we are victorious, simply return all the items your people stole from inhabitants of this world and stop sacrificing the inhabitants too—well, at least angels, demons, and Nephilim. You should also agree to no longer steal anything else. We'll not pursue investigations against you. What say you to these terms, sir?"

Mozig's eyes were narrow as he put a bent finger to his chin, considering the proposal. Her idea was a good one because relinquishing their hold on stolen items by giving them back over to the owners could've surely halted any of the investigations and retaliation against the tribe. It was something he liked since the Gremlins of Norges would no longer have to hide from those they've stolen things from. Yet his tribe could not get involved with these people and their population, but he could at least agree to the terms. "Very well, Dame Macarona, you have a deal; but allow me to offer clarification regarding terms I shall uphold. The Gremlins of this old land shall return what they have pilfered in battle, though I can't speak for Gremlins not of our tribe. I cannot guarantee they will listen as they may have a different opinion, so you may have to fight them for the items."

Macarona smiled, grateful they were making at least a start towards having better relations with this tribal society of Gremlins. It may not have been much, but at least it was still something.

"Now hold on just a moment, old man," Lil piped up, standing too. "We're not done yet."

"Are we not?" the Gremlin Skaal inquired, unsure of what else could be arranged. He knew what he promised them may not have been enough, hence why the demon was likely going further in the matter than Macarona had. From the way she stood and stepped over to him, Mozig figured that was going to be the case and expected her to threaten him. Yet he remained polite even if she wasn't, aware that Lil was only doing this to ensure his tribe would uphold the deal. "I have already given my word the stolen items in my stronghold will be returned to the owners after the affair."

"Listen here, you pipsqueak asshole," the lady interrupted him before he could get another word in. She seized his frail body with one hand and would've throttled him had she not restrained herself from doing so for the sake of the old Gremlin and his people—and Macarona too since she didn't want to upset her angelic friend. Lifting him up to a point where he could maybe scratch her face if he wanted to try and get away, Lil got right in Mozig's face to issue the demand to him. "It means jackshit if you don't agree to stop thieving; plus you gave us your word, not solid proof you will do it. I don't give a shit if you at least return some stuff, but until we see some accumulative results you'd better get right to straightening your damn kinsmen out. And if we don't, let's just say the destruction of those pathetic pieces of shit you call toys shall be the least of your worries, got it?" Her tone and demeanor definitely indicated she could've most likely done a lot worse to the Gremlins of Norges. The way she held Mozig suggested she could've killed him if in the mood.

Although Macarona tried to intervene for his sake to calm Lil, he held a hand up to prevent her because he knew what had to be done. "Very well, for the sake of my people I shall hand over the pilfered goods immediately upon our return and no longer seize spoils in battles with the Light and Dark, otherwise we will inevitably incur your wrath, Dame Lil. Would that be a much suitable response to the present arrangement, better than my previous promise that lacked the latter term?"

The demonic lady smiled and relinquished her grip on Mozig. "About time you saw things our way. You'd better hope they listen well, or else you'll all be condemned to imprisonment as criminals for stealing spoils from those you defeat. Believe me, you'll be making a better choice saving your tribe by turning over the stolen stuff instead of keeping it. Doesn't hurt being given a get out of jail free card in exchange for commitment to stopping this behavior, huh?" she remarked.

"In exchange for the service we shall provide you," the Skaal commented to seal this deal. "I must admit, you are quite a persuasive force to be reckoned with, Dame Lil—securing the results Dame Macarona requested, but had only achieved securing my word on." The demon grinned once she heard him make this compliment and gave Macarona a thumbs up, putting an arm around her. This second gesture was meant to cheer the angelic girl up since the remark might've come across as an insult to how well Macarona debated their deal, and Macarona accepted the gesture because she knew what Lil intended, thankful for having such a good friend even if Lil was forceful in the demand. Even though she may not have agreed with the lady's remarks from that demanding state, the young angel nevertheless understood Lil was only ensuring Mozig held up his end of the deal. And uphold it he did, for he began to describe the nature of the beast dwelling within Crystallis as its guardian of sorts. "Now then, the creature is quite a large and powerful one. It walks on land and swims in water as I previously mentioned. Two legs of the frontal body guide it; its slick, tail driving it in water whenever it isn't out of it. The front is a crocodile; the back much like a fish."

"Wait," Froze spoke up after listening to the debate, "are you referring to a Makara? A sort of amphibious monster that can dwell in marshes and swamps with characteristics like those traits you're describing? Would that be the vicious creature you make ritual sacrifices to appease it?"

"That would be what you refer to it as, yes?" Mozig inquired, though confirmed it anyway. "Whatever the name, I know what I speak of for I have seen the thing with my own eyes." He took a deep breath, the Skaal's memories of his kinsmen perishing in the maw of that beast's teeth when it opened them prior to clamping down on its innocent victims. "A monstrosity of a beast dwelling within this part of Neyrom Marsh, it is…slew many of my brothers and sisters on our hunts. Never leaving its boundary or the den it calls home—this Crystallis, the water temple you speak of. We've done everything we could to try and damage it, but to no avail for our weapons and poisons do not work effectively and cause no damage. We have only irked the thing while it continued killing us, devouring and digesting us in its stomach. The Gremlins live in constant fear that it might one day find its way toward our home and destroy it, forcing us out of the stronghold and leaving us without a home to call our own unless we were to migrate towards another place we can call a stronghold."

Macarona blinked, feeling sorry for the Gremlins because of what the Makara did to them. The monster killed Mozig's people, scaring his fellow kinsmen into submission to the point where they felt forced to appease it. If they failed and it didn't like the meals they left it, the creature may have indeed gone out of its way to invade their home and slaughter them all with the survivors left alive, but homeless. Like the Will-o'-the-Wisp they first encountered, it was another example that reminded her of how Lil felt when she had to leave the Devil's Kingdom due to a marital dispute. Lil had only wanted to improve her lifestyle a bit kind of like how these Gremlins in the tribe did, and Macarona couldn't help but feel more worried about her friend because Lil might've given up on ever returning home. Her hell was her home, and she must've felt like she was pushed out when her husband refused to let her have more power. If that was the case, Lil probably couldn't call the Devil's Kingdom home anymore because of how corrupt it had become under Satanick's reign.

"Hey, what're you worrying about, old man?" Lil asked cheerfully despite feeling down as she listened to the Skaal share his tribe's problem with them. She grinned widely, her hand pressed on Macarona's shoulder firmly while the lady shut her eyes. "We've given you our word that we'd take care of your little problem and shall prove it to you. You've got Macarona and I on your side, so you've got nothing to fear with the two of us on the case—oh, Froze and Nova are here as well." Lil chuckled sheepishly at the thought of nearly forgetting about the angel and Nephilim with them on the expedition, holding a hand up to raise two fingers and form a peace sign with them. "Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about your abilities, girls," she reassured them she didn't mean to leave them out, hoping they weren't too upset with her for the emphasis on herself and Macarona more.

"Even if you left who we were out," Froze commented sharply and sighed, figuring it was no use being frustrated over Macarona being more of a significant presence in Lil's mind than her.

"Well, at least our skills can help distinguish who we are, Froze," Nova cheered her fellow colleague up with a smile and a pat on the back. "Oh, and you don't have to worry about preparing some kind of celebration as thanks for us defeating the Makara, Skaal Mozig. We are just doing it to ensure our preliminary analysis can be conducted safely while ensuring you return stolen stuff."

"Whatever the reason behind your motivations, that's if you do succeed," Mozig consented.

Macarona smiled putting an arm around Lil with a smile, raising a thumb to give the Skaal a thumbs up. "Of course, and we can certainly guarantee our success once we arrive at Crystallis," she remarked with her eyes shut, her demonic friend also giving the same gesture while Froze just sighed, wondering if it was possible to even give that guarantee this early before they got there.

"If we arrive there in time to find the Makara; that's if there is one."

"Don't be such a gloomy girl, Froze," Lil tried to assure her they would succeed. "I'm sure the old man's not lying to us." She opened her eyes and directed a threatening glare at the Gremlin. "Cause if he is, he knows what shall become of his tribe's future, and I'll be sure to remind him."

"You need no reminder, Dame Lil, I'm already well aware of what you can do and what'll be the outcome of whatever fate befalls the Gremlins of Norges if I were to deceive you," he said, understanding the threat for what it was. "The beast is there, alright, whether outside or inside the structure. You'll just have to either wait for it to come to you, or take the fight to it right away. My suggestion is to wait, allow it to creep out of its hideout—ambush it to settle the affair smoothly."

"What do you have in mind for this plan, Skaal Mozig?" Nova inquired, liking the idea.

"Details, details…" Lil mused, pleased with the thought as she rubbed her hands together, enjoying the sound of a genius plan being formulated. "Whatever they may be, we still kick ass."

Macarona giggled in agreement. "Well, the wait and details help make it quite thrilling."

…

 **Yet another filler chapter, one I designed to portray different perspectives of societies in tribal civilizations through the introduction of a new minor OC character. In nations and countries that have developed into modern societies, people may consider customs like ritual sacrifice as being a primitive form of murder. In the eyes of tribal societies, these customs in their culture are not seen in the same perspective because they consider it to be a form of the appeasement they provide to their deities and spirits whom they worship in addition to other reasons why they perform these kinds of customs. This cultural difference is one factor which separates the modern world of today from ancient civilizations of the past like Incan, Aztec, and numorous other indigenous populations alongside more ancient civilizations such as the Romans, Greeks, and other examples of old civilizations. As I like learning about history, I thought it'd be a good idea to explore the idea I'm speaking about in this first paragraph of author's notes to educate others on the difference between modern developed societies and cultures that are not modern and have not fully developed. If it comes across as offensive, I apologize despite not intending this to be offensive as it was meant to be more of a lesson I wanted to implement in this chapter as a way of trying to show others these perspectives.**

 **As for the notion of theft and how it was mentioned in the chapter, I went for another concept that can be seen as similar to how it's featured in the chapter. For a creative exercise, say there are two groups that both fight. One loses while the winning group claims their stuff as spoils of the conflict which they'll say they've won fairly in battle. While this claim may be legitimate on their side, the group that lost may claim their foes had stolen the things they lost to them. This group that lost may put forth this claim as they might be sore about being defeated which is a way of responding to the loss. It might not be good sportsmanship, but it is still a response. Again, if it comes across as being offensive even though it isn't, I apologize for that despite wanting to portray the Gremlins mentioned in this chapter in this manner.**

 **Collaboration between the Gremlins and Nova's team might be difficult due to these matters, though they're working together to arrive at a point where both parties are satisfied by the outcome. Nova's team will be resuming their work, and Mozig's tribe can survive and continue to follow the traditions and customs their ancestors established for them to observe and follow. This could be interpreted as a means of both modern and tribal societies coming together for a common objective which is something I also wanted to portray in the chapter, even if the way this cooperation was formed is seen as difficult due to the first impressions. I can assure you a better understanding is already in the works, so both groups will prosper.**

 **Regarding Skaal Mozig, his name is based on Gizmo from the Gremlins movies while other aspects of him are based on a couple of the Gremlins from the first and second movies. The stripe is a reference to the one with a stripe on its head in the first film; his speech alludes to a Gremlin that could talk like humans after drinking a chemical potion in the second film. As for the aspects of his tribe, the title of Skaal references the Skaal of the Elder Scrolls series while the terms they use come from the Norwegian language; translations are found below:**

 **Dame: Lady**

 **Hoyttaler: Speaker**

 **Flott: Great**

 **Jeger: Hunter**

 **Vis Mann: Wiseman**

 **Furthermore, I named the tribe after the Norges Skaal, a drinking song of sorts which was created by Johan Nordahl Brun in Copenhagen in 1771. At this time, both Denmark and Norway were likely ruled by one monarch as implied by a meaning of 'personal union,' the concept in which a monarch can rule over two or more different states. Circumstances of the concept may differ; though getting back to the drinking song itself, Brun produced it as one aspect of the Norwegian literary society which was located in Copenhagen. When Norwegian nationalism was increasing in the early 1800s, the song became popular with it. However, the song was forbidden by Danish officials who perceived it as being revolutionary and also anti-Danish. This is why it's called the Norwegian Marseillaise as an allusion to France's national anthem, the Le Marseillaise; both may be different or similar depending on the meanings.**

 **You can learn more about this on Wikipedia if you're interested in it.**

 **All of the five herbs in this chapter: violets; scullcaps; passion flowers, gardenias, and meadowsweets were found in Scott Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs.**

 **Before I wrap this up, I just want to put forth a couple things I've been thinking about for a bit. Recently I had finished watching Chisaleya's playthrough of Wadanohara and the Great Blue Sea (this was the second time I watched it), and was thinking about possibly doing the first story of my Wadanohara series after this story is finished. It's just an idea for now, but I'm not sure whether I'll do it or not. It would be good to stay up to date on the timeline I made because then I wouldn't have to worry about leaving anything behind until later when it might be too late. However, sticking with only one of the games for now may still help since I would only have to focus on one of them, one story at a time. I know I said I'd write all my Wadanohara ideas after my Gray Garden stories were all finished, but it's just a thought as I said. I'll give this some more thought as this story progresses and make a decision later.**

 **The next thing I want to mention is that I've also recently seen BlueRhaps0d1's video about a possible HD Remake of the Gray Garden which Mogeko is likely making. As he says in the video, there may be changes made to the HD remake that were not in the original game when it was released years ago. These changes might be small or large, so I may have to alter some things in my previous stories if they're to follow the game. That's if I base them around either the end of the original version of the Gray Garden, or stick with the HD remake. It is unclear to me at this time; BlueRhaps0d1 has also been wondering whether he'd continue to work on his Gray Garden with Voices series in which he and other people dub the characters' dialogue. Whatever the case is, I'm looking forward to what the HD remake will be like.**

 **Chisaleya and BlueRhaps0d1 have YouTube channels you can check out.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Gremlins movies; they are owned by Joe Dante. I do not own the aforementioned herbs; they're listed in Scott Cunningham's aforementioned book.**


	10. Chapter Ten: Crystallis

By the time they arrived at where they'd find Crystallis, a chilly afternoon breeze passed by the five who disembarked once the ride was over. It was already a little before two thirty and the gang had a couple hours left of daytime, though there was actually a bit more time than what they had. The sun over Neyrom Marsh usually lowered below the horizon around much closer to five when the sky would turn orange, so they could have done a bit of extra work in the evening before returning to the warp slate around six. With that taken into account, the group had about four hours assessing the threat level of creatures that would've impeded the search and collecting samples of relics and artefacts they'd bring back with them. Of course, the former would not have been too much of a problem for they already slew some dangerous monsters; however, they were sure to leave some left alive so the beasts could escape, thus ensuring populations of these monsters in the Neyrom Marsh wouldn't suffer harmful decreases in their native populations.

Stepping onto a dock built by the Gremlins of Norges for laying game they hunted in this area on it until they brought it back to their stronghold, the group gazed upon the area to examine it. Gnarled roots grew from muddy waters, a fog blanketing this wetland space preventing them from seeing threats on the ground level; mainly those lurking underneath the fog, specifically crocodiles and venomous snakes that slunk throughout this old, small forest. Granted, they could at least see Stymphalian Birds perched in the trees above and would be prepared for an assault from those things, but grounded animals would've been a major problem for the expedition. That was why they had to be careful when treading the marshy swamp of this area, the ground posing a bigger threat until they reached the open area where Crystallis was. Sounds from insects and the cries of Stymphalian Birds rang out as the group stood here, Macarona and Lil waiting for Froze and Nova to finish a quiet discussion while looking at the map. Skaal Mozig clambered onto a wooden pole in between both groups and sat there, perched in the same manner as on the cart's lever while smoking his herbal remedy that brought peace to the group as they smelled it. The scent was sweet even if the mixture's name was unknown.

Raising her hand to shield her eyes from a glare of the sun that emerged from her side as she glanced upon the forest, Macarona squinted to try penetrating the larger fog that rose above the water as their companions talked. To her, there appeared to be a chill in the air as if this place was expecting them to arrive. Having greeted its trespassers with the sight of it, the forest now welcomed them. A creepy bit of foreshadowing as evident in how the fog rose, prohibiting them from seeing what may have laid ahead of them. Nonetheless she and her friends were not scared as it was only the atmosphere and nothing more—nothing but a genius loci of a space that was haunted, but not scary. The trees and swampy terrain might've been foreboding, though they would not withdraw to the safety of sanctuary at the Gremlins' stronghold, nor would they trek all the way back to Susent in the hope of leaving or collecting five additional adventurers who'd join them on their trek to the water temple beyond the point where all of them now stood before the trees.

"Golly, seems like a perfect place for ghost stories," Lil commented besides her, covering her own eyes from the sun's rays too as she joined the young angel in her observation of the fog and trees standing in the marshy grounds. "Especially when the joint looks like it's from one. Maybe we'll find more Will-'o'-the-Wisps and other spirits if any reside here. I'm sure we'd at least locate a few that might try to misguide us on the way to the water temple."

"Much blood was spilled on this soil and the water…" Mozig uttered as if to answer her.

"From the Stand of Crystallis…" Macarona murmured, putting a name to the conflict that caused the bloodshed in the first place. Her group didn't mentioned it before, though a name was given to the battle. "This is where angels who remained maintained their ground against Roxas and his forces, surviving a pestilence produced by the trees he made with magic. They fought long and hard to try and drive him off, succeeding in only preventing him and other demons from progressing further in the war. If the demons succeeded, surely the White Heaven would've had a much harder time of trying to fend them off as the army was already clashing with the brunt of Mr. Kcalb's military in other regions throughout the heaven of our old world. The tide would've turned, the upper hand in his favor with an opportunity to utilize this monumental landmark against Miss Etihw after seizing it from her. His chances of victory would've increased."

"That is what the people of the Light would have told you," the Gremlin shaman said and averted his attention to her. "What they would not informed you of was what actually happened, what took place on the battlefield itself."

"To keep tough details and tragic affairs under wraps," Lil theorized, making sense since governments and militaries weren't often too open about disasters to citizens. They'd explain the basic fundamentals, but didn't go into detail as doing so was too traumatic; hence why only images featuring some damage, but not everything, was apposite enough to keep people strong and avoid harm to their psyches if they learned too much that could've frightened them more. Fear was a powerful emotion, one capable of crippling societies into submissive states of being too afraid to really do anything to stop something bad. Courage was better for it gave strength to do something, to stand against whatever threatened lifestyles and cultures so that people could preserve themselves and future generations of their civilizations. "Same goes for demons too," Lil added to make another point about what Mozig said. "They too can say what occurs here, but without talking about what actually took place and any other details omitted by their scribes when manufacturing the tales."

"History is either written by victors who may be in a position to fudge their accounts, the truth difficult to come by as one side makes claims and cites them as true facts when actual true facts might not be stated by them," Macarona added, going further with this topic because it was relevant to what was passed down in stories of historical figures and events. "Or those who actually witnessed it to give accurate information and statistics that can be closer to the truth than what victors may say. Even the victors themselves might elaborate on it whether they exaggerate details or not in their accounts of such history regarding whatever happened to the opposition who fought against them and lost the fight."

"Aye," her demonic friend agreed. "I prefer the latter; keeps things consistent with valuable information one might not find in accounts formulated by victors who could make up whatever they wanted by erasing a defeated side's history to make themselves appear good. Definitely paints them in whatever light they prefer, though not with what the actual truth is." Their discussion of a true statement certainly described the past quite well concerning historical accuracy.

"Then you'll learn not all was as courageous and precise as your elders have lectured you on as you grew older in life," the Skaal mentioned, turning back to the forest while smoking his pipe. "I saw the deceased as you mentioned. I watched their souls wander this space, their cries of anguish sounding throughout Neyrom Marsh echoing miles away. They made pain they felt in life known, whether they stood together or fled for their lives and died." He breathed heavily, blowing out rings of herbal smoke that dissipated into nothing in the air. "Such tragic sorrow…so much pain…"

"Which is to be expected as it was possible some soldiers in the armies tried to flee from the battle when it wasn't turning out the way they wanted it to," Froze commented once she and Nova finished looking over the map. "I doubt it'd have been impossible for angels, as they were surrounded by Roxas' forces as demons hammered whatever was left of their defenses. However strong and menacing the demons were, the angels in Crystallis did their best and it was a miracle they held out until the end of the war when demons stood down once peace was made. A shame Roxas didn't agree and kept the assault going, though he and other soldiers who sided with him were defeated by those who followed Lord Kcalb's orders with him being slain by some of those troops. His ghost might still be here, wandering and haunting the marsh where he fell in battle against a horde of demons who stood by the Devil's decision to end the war for peace."

"Or just this spot, I bet; these were his trees," Lil surmised as Nova put the map away and charged up a novice spell to produce a gust of wind that would clear away a bit of the fog. "Who knows? We'd probably encounter him, or we may have already fought him. He may have been a normal spirit, or maybe one of the Will-o'-the-Wisps we encountered along the way here. You'll never know unless he pops up or not. Hell, he may believe the battle might still be raging on even now to this day. He'll likely not look upon our little group too favorably; he may just attack us on sight at once."

"As residual energy according to the stone tape theory of paranormal phenomena which explains that energy produced by events on a traumatic and emotional scale are left behind as mental impressions of an electrical nature," Nova explained to demonstrate knowledge of paranormal phenomena. She was a prominent member of Gray Village's ghost hunting society, and knew intriguing tidbits about the matter in question from her experience heading to haunted locations throughout the region their hometown was situated in. "The impressions are stored in inactive, inanimate objects. The trees here are a kind of material the recordings can be imprinted upon. Unfortunately, such hauntings are not considered live hauntings for the recorded energy plays back in very much the same manner as televisions shows and movies, but only in specific circumstances at times when the circumstances parallel those of the precursor event in question."

"Meaning we would not really find anything paranormal here, right?" Macarona inquired out of curiosity.

"From that view, yes," the Nephilim replied, discharging magical energy she built up into the fog to clear some away for their vision. If they didn't see where they were going and what would attack them, there was no way they'd be able to make much progress going forward. "It'll just be recordings unless we find intelligent spirits." Once the spell completed the role she had in mind for it, she gazed around the proximity of its range and sighed since it hadn't cleared away enough, and it was only temporarily for the effect lasted but a few measly seconds before the fog engulfed whatever ground it lost and then some from the looks of how far its reach extended. A likely theory was that it was due to the wind spell entering the space and pushing the fog back as it swirled to clear whatever was in front, shoving it to the sides instead; that would have then put the fog in a position where it would have been pushed back. It was a theory since the spell may have died out probably at the same point the fog had stopped approaching; there could've been other notions to explain this phenomenon. "Well, the fog is pretty thick. I guess my spell wasn't enough to really dispel enough of it for us to progress. Looks like we'll need to find another approach from a different direction, an alternative route to Crystallis."

"If you'll allow me, Dame Nova, I'll solve the issue," Mozig commented, hopping down from the wooden pole. "I lived for many years, accumulating enough experience with primitive forms of such magic you wield. Clearing this fog requires but a simple incantation to dispel the entirety of this by calling on western winds to dissolve this problem."

"Huh? Why only western winds?" the demonic lady asked. "What of any other winds? Wouldn't you need more to blow the fog away for us, old man? It's how it works, right? I mean, if the fog's this thick, you'd need to draw natural energy from other directions as well, correct? Otherwise one direction alone isn't going to really do enough."

"Maybe in some cases, but I think it's because of what the other directional winds could do," Froze commented to answer her on the Gremlin's behalf, letting the Skaal concentrate on summoning a powerful gust of wind that would ultimately clear away much of the obstacle. It might have also caused some animals and Stymphalian Birds to be blown away too. Whether any enemies would've been or not was yet to be determined, for the spell wasn't being performed yet. "A northern wind may blow past us with probably enough force to send us flying into the marsh if it comes from behind us, or it may blow the fog onto us if it comes from behind it. The same goes for a southern wind too. I guess an eastern wind might work like a western one depending on how powerful it is just like a western wind would be."

"But the wind is blowing from the west if I'm right," Macarona asserted while removing one of her gauntlets to stick an index finger in her mouth. Getting a bit of saliva on it for the sake of her little experiment, she then pulled it out and held her finger up in the air. Confirming it was indeed coming from the west as a breeze blew by, the young angel averted her gaze back at the other angel in their group. "Yep, it's definitely coming over from the west. I can certainly feel it, and I presume the west from our position and the direction we're looking in would be to our left, unless the geography indicates it'd come from the opposite position or the other two directions—in which case we'll wait elsewhere for the end of Skaal Mozig's ritual." Pulling a compass out of her knapsack pouch after putting the gauntlet back on, Macarona checked which direction was north to once again confirm their position and pointed in front of the group. "North is directly in front of us or behind our position, so east and west are in fact on either side of our position. We won't have to move."

"Whichever direction might not really matter so much as it would dispel the fog," Nova said, not bothered by the minor detail in spite of being glad and thankful for the confirmation. "Our progress to Crystallis is the objective."

"Precisely, but now I request complete silence to contact elemental spirits for permission to traverse this space unhindered by this obstacle," Mozig finally spoke after finishing some deep breaths and a few more puffs from his pipe to clear it of remaining herbal incense inside after dumping the contents out into one hand. Letting these remains blow away in a gentle breeze that blew by, he held the mouth piece of his pipe in both hands and began to tap against the wooden boards several times. Uttering an incantation in the Gremlin language, the shaman had raised his voice and lowered it too while continuing his tribal song. Removing his right arm and holding it aloft, his left hand still firmly gripping the pipe he now utilized as a staff, Mozig began waving it out in front of him to conjure winds that slowly surfaced. The element gradually began to appear, and seconds passed as the winds built up to blow the fog away. Soon it was powerful enough to do just that, and with one final wave, the Skaal blew it away as if it was nothing, dissipating the smoke-like substance into nothing. "There, it's gone. We can move forward to the water temple so you Dames may fulfill your mission."

"Wow, for what looked like a simple ritual, it was certainly impressive," Froze remarked to compliment him on how well he did. "I especially liked how the incantation was spoken now. It felt strong and in tune with the gesture."

"Like something of the rituals in the Flower World," Lil added. "Reminds me of Rosaliya and similar rites she and her demons perform for similar purposes at times whatever the reason whenever they have ceremonies to do."

"Every society has its roots steeped in traditions, rituals, customs, and beliefs. Ours is no different in this regard," the Skaal responded to these remarks and breathed to recover his strength. He was not young anymore, acknowledging the youth of his bygone years had already disappeared well before he even met this group of outsiders. Briefly reminiscing on how many he himself saw, the number was very little because he and his tribe usually hid away from those who would've caused them trouble. Froze, Nova, and Macarona all appeared to be like them, a trio of well-disciplined individuals who kept themselves in line, checking their behavior to ensure it wouldn't become very unlike them. Lil was the only difference, a rambunctious one who was certainly going to be a problem, but only if a problem emerged from the Gremlins of Norges to threaten her and her friends. In the past he was like this demon of the dark, hotheaded and very eager to please his elders and kinsmen of the tribe. Now he compared himself to the others and found he was becoming like them as he grew old, wisdom and intelligence of old age catching up at one point. There hardly was an issue with that apart from missing his youth, though he wasn't complaining because of many mistakes he himself inadvertently caused on occasions—nothing serious, minor occurrences that simply accumulated over time that taught him valuable lessons.

Comparing these aspects of himself to the group, Mozig figured the analogy was practical to his remark about past civilizations. Societies could've made mistakes early on too, but further development while learning how to solve such problems were beneficial as it meant societies were improving. All the girls besides Lil exemplified that to him, demonstrating they moved beyond the harsh past they lived in to ultimately develop into a peaceful civilization. This was a blessing of sorts for them. To him, Lil symbolized past youth; overly excited, yet eager for experience and wisdom. Beginning to like this group, though maintaining his aloof nature which kept him silent, he watched them marvel on the very spectacle he performed before them for several moments as he returned to the habit of smoking his herbal pipe.

"Well, every civilization has to start somewhere in life at the beginning of their foundations," Macarona said as she knew the notion was true because primitive origins were the very elements of civilization's birth. It was a very true statement like the others she and Lil had made minutes ago when they spoke about historical accuracy of the past.

"Though not every society is modern and up to date with others," the demonic lady put forth a counterpoint to demonstrate that some civilizations, if not all of them, advanced in their development. This remark was also true, for a society like the Gremlins of Norges did not need to be as modern as others if they didn't want to be. That was up to those who made up said civilization, a decision they were responsible for making after taking many factors into account like how they were faring on their own and how other societies worked with them. It was their way of life too, and they didn't have to follow examples set by other societies if their culture dictated they were to preserve ancient lifestyles the way their ancestors instructed them to. Such loyalty and devotion to their ancestors was an admirable trait in all old societies.

Yet it also might've come across as a comment Lil was making about the Devil's Kingdom. From what she related to Macarona and others whenever she spoke about it, her hell was modern to some degree. It followed some values and utilized integral innovations that were both considered basic by other civilizations, but at the same time it also incorporated technological progressions imported from other underworlds to stay on track with them whenever there was business to be done on an international network. A fine point in the Devil's Kingdom's development according to a number of individuals among the various populations, though one Lil didn't fully agree with because she wanted the Devil's Kingdom to keep up with other hells at a fair pace her hell could follow. It didn't have to be like those other underworlds, nor did it have to be at the exact same speed and pace when developing, but it would've satisfied her because her civilization would've at least made some improvements to the way it was currently running at the time. Perhaps it was because she wanted better equality for women and the lower classes as Macarona suspected, a great goal she admired Lil for because of how the demonic lady sometimes made references to it at times and also when she'd be explaining what the Devil's Kingdom was like to others who didn't know about the components of her society. The young angel hoped things could get better in Lil's hell, hoping others like her could've also stepped up to improve it.

"Because we don't need to," Skaal Mozig addressed that point she made from the initial connotation which was evident in how she said it. "The Gremlins of Norges have maintained our ancient culture which is, sufficed to say, like that of many Gremlins not of the tribe. The only difference between us is they did not band together in a similar manner as they retain the idea of forming various packs that will inevitably conflict with others. Ours is a melting pot of various packs that have chosen to abandon the conflict with them and other inhabitants of this world—albeit with a need for using materials and resources we have taken from conflicts with both the former and latter in order to survive. Views of the notion will differ as we've discussed before, even if we do come to an agreement on how to handle such matters. In any case, we have retained our identity while also tinkering with it by updating and renovating it to suit us as we see fit."

"Which is pretty much a standard means of living and following certain cultural praxes in some societies like yours, sir," Froze remarked, understanding how tribal societies survived from his explanation. As someone who also had training and expertise with archaeology and anthropology, the young angel could easily comprehend the notion due to other expeditions she went on which analyzed past events and populations along with the societies said peoples lived in. Some of these expeditions took her and others like her and Nova to places where tribal societies had resided up until they became extinct, thereby becoming relics and artefacts of the past which were later discovered and passed down from explorers, adventurers, archaeologists, and anthropologists to those who succeeded them, namely their descendants. Descendants were related either by blood through familial kinships, or from mentor to pupil as in the case of people like Froze and Nova. Both groups preserved the artefacts and relics, letting the past live on as legacies of old civilizations that might've died out in the past, but lived on for many generations through whatever was left behind after their passing.

"Precisely," Nova acknowledged the value of this discussion and the truths inherent within it. "But for now we've got a job to do. The fog has cleared and we can finally progress towards Crystallis. Let us move out at once."

Lil grinned with Macarona as the two of them saluted her. "Yes, Ma'am!" she responded, playfully making a quip to lighten the mood by performing the gesture like soldiers in armies would've done when following orders with the young angel emulating her while also repeating the same response too as if they did this to honor the deceased troops.

Their enthusiasm brought a small smile to Froze's face. "Well, at least you're both at ease," she joked too.

"Damn straight!" the demonic lady replied boisterously and morphed her feet into bats so she could avoid the trouble of having to wade through the muddy waters after hopping off the dock. Macarona joined her at the forefront, Froze and Nova taking up the rear with Mozig perched on one of the latter's shoulders after gently picking him up.

"You know, I bet they'd make good lieutenants," Nova joined in on the fun, giggling when the cries of two Stymphalian Birds echoed throughout the forest, alerting their kin by species to the presence of intruders within their terrain. Summoning a pair of aquatic constructs from the water around them and doing the same by forming the wind, Nova managed to conjure three elemental guards as additions to protect her and Froze while their companions were handling crocodiles and Stymphalian Birds that emerged from below and swooped down from above respectively. Splashes of water reached a few feet around them as the combatants battled with these foes, using the terrain to their advantage by ducking behind trees which the Stymphalian Birds ran into whenever they didn't dodge the cover. An efficient tactic the Nephilim evoker utilized was to have her constructs strike these flying beasts down whenever the creatures came too close after passing the trees once Macarona and Lil were safely behind them. Froze created barriers of ice from water that splashed up, the shields defending them and damaging beasts that rammed into them. One crocodile that came forward was about to pounce on Macarona, but the young angel dashed up one tree and leapt backwards off it, somersaulting in the air before coming down hard as she landed on the reptile to deal a critical stomp upon its head.

Minutes later this first wave of offenders was starting to retreat and the fighters spent a few moments to catch their breath despite continuing to progress at a steady pace. They didn't encounter any resistance along the way for quite a while and were glad for this reprieve from the fighting since they wanted to spend more time getting to Crystallis and less on combating the marshland's dangers. Several snakes tried to lash out at them, but they were prepared for these reptiles as Lil used her bats to seize them and toss the creatures aside into the water. Daunted by the prey's resistance, even snakes weren't becoming too much of an issue for the five either. The only problem Macarona, Nova, and Froze had to deal with was the muddy water. It wasn't too deep, though neither too shallow either as their boots sank beneath the surface, the mud reaching up to the bottom of their lower legs just past their ankles with each step they took. Yet all their steps were a struggle too, for they had to pull hard on their legs whenever they stepped forward, wasting energy with each step. Fighting beasts and predators was not so much a problem as they delivered the message that they were not to be trifled with. Nova and Froze already finished jotting down data on notepads they had to write on for assessing the matter of how dangerous each beast within this area was as well as how many they fought so far from when they first arrived in Neyrom Marsh. This task was probably the easiest in terms of what they had to do, though more still had to be done.

At one point as the group was proceeding forward and had already come halfway towards their goal, a lone arrow whizzed by Froze's head. The attack was unexpected and she didn't even see it coming until it was far too late. Shrieking as she narrowly avoided being struck in the neck, stumbling backwards and nearly falling when she tripped over her feet, the young angel breathed a sigh of relief when Nova caught her and pulled the girl to safety. "Thanks, Nova," she murmured, still breathing deeply as she turned to face the attacker and readied her staff while the other girls prepared themselves for combat too. Noise from a short distance away was followed by the shadow of a figure.

Macarona and Lil blinked as they both turned to face the unknown assailant who tried to snipe Froze from afar. "Huh, who the hell was that? That better have been an accidental shot, otherwise we'll pulverize the jerk!" the latter threatened when the attacker revealed himself—or rather, what was left of him. Emerging from the trees, an entity appearing in the form of a spiritual demon rushed behind more for cover, shooting arrows at the five who trespassed on this land. From what they all saw, the ghost was not a Will-o'-the-Wisp because he had a humanoid form which then morphed into a wolf that leapt into the trees and darted ahead when he finished attacking. This spirit was pitch black like the night sky, dark power emanating from its body before the entity vanished into thin air. Thankfully everyone had avoided the spirit's arrows by taking cover; Lil seized Macarona and yanked her angelic friend behind a tree as their comrades ducked behind another. Any arrows that remained embedded in the wooden foliage shimmered, lingering temporarily until dissipating into nothing. Nobody was hurt, but the assailant disappeared from whence he came. "A coward right to the end!" Lil shouted, criticizing the ghost for not facing them head on by using a bow instead of a melee weapon like a sword or something. "That's right, you'd better run away!" she added threateningly afterwards.

"Easy, Lil don't agitate it," Nova instructed her calmly once it was safe for them to regroup closer together. "We've no idea whether it's residual energy or an intelligent spirit. For all we know, we might be walking in on a part of the battle that raged on for months to a few years in this area. It's uncertain if this was during the siege at Crystallis, or following it when peace was made after which Roxas disobeyed orders and was promptly slain in a civil battle."

"Who cares? That asshole nearly killed Froze!" the demonic lady retorted in Froze's defense.

"Not if it was residual energy," the young angel Lil was speaking up for on said angel's behalf said to better clarify what could've happened. "At most I would've felt a sharp chill pass through my neck that would've still been painful, but not so detrimental that it would've threatened my life by killing me. That said, I'm grateful for the concern nonetheless because I truly might've died had that demonic spirit been an intelligent spirit aware of our presence."

"Your alive, Froze, and that's all that matters," Macarona responded happily, thankful her friend was alright. "Still, I do wonder why there aren't any other militant ghosts like that archer. If he was a scout, I believe it would be prudent to make haste before that one reports back to other intelligent spirits in the area and lead them here. I'm afraid I wouldn't be of much aid if that were to happen, so we should get a move on quick. Yet not too hastily since we are probably walking right into a trap." As she explained, they didn't have too many options. Withdrawing was out of the question because they had a job to do. Progressing forward with demonic spirits on their tail was their only option, a suspected trap possibly in the works if it hadn't already been prepared. They had no choice other than to move, but if a second route was available they would certainly take it at once. "I guess we'll just have to buck up and move on."

"Macarona's right," Nova agreed with the young angel. "However, I too am concerned about traps because intelligent spirits could lead individuals astray into one if they're hostile towards the living. If we are dealing with any intelligent spirits, the demons from Kcalb's army shall assault us because the younger ones are angels whereas I'm a Nephilim; Lil might not have any trouble, but they may perceive her as being allied with angels. Consequently, angels from Etihw's army might welcome Froze and Macarona, but not her because she's a demon, plus I too would be a possible target for the same reason demonic spirits here would have. Hopefully it is just residual energy in this place."

"And if not, we'd best be prepared," Froze added. "Who knows what the intelligent spirits, if any, have in mind for us. I advise taking precautions as necessary when we can while remaining cautious, and we should take different routes as opposed to the direct path when we can to avoid trouble if we can. Of course, we must be wary on all the other paths too. You never know when an unseen attacker might reveal himself or herself. It could even be too late for us." Froze's words sounded dire, though with an air of truth evident in the concern and caution she exhibited in them.

"Oh, no worries, Froze, we've got this," Lil reassured her, not worried about any traps. "Like hell these dead guys could ensnare us. Hell, they'd get a lot more than they bargained for if they even try it. I mean, we've got some mad skills, am I right?" She levitated over to the young, blond angel to seize her in a playful hug, ruffling Froze's hair and chuckling while teasingly treating her like a rookie ready and eager for a brawl—except Froze wasn't like that. "Look, it'll be fine, really. You've got Macarona and I on your side, and you girls have got some mad skills of your own too."

"H-hey, stop!" the angel raised her voice, struggling to free herself from the boisterous demon. "That'll mean nothing if we're caught unprepared! I appreciate the optimistic enthusiasm, but you need to take this seriously, Lil!"

"Oh, relax, girl. Hold your chin up and strive for victory!" the lady continued to advise her. "We'll succeed, alright. Just you wait and look forward to our victory! We'll accomplish this mission, maybe in style if possible." She released Froze from her grip and let Nova catch her, returning to Macarona's side and taking her angelic friend's hand before turning around with her. "Come on, let's go! We've got a water temple to explore, so let's get cracking, girls!" Saying so, she morphed into bats to gently pick Macarona up and did the same after cloning her bats into a couple more groups that went over to Nova and Froze. Lifting them with the same tenderness, allowing the bats to multiply since Stymphalian Birds could've still posed a serious threat, the demon proceeded to carry her friends across the treetops.

"We could fly on our own!" Froze uttered aloud, watching as Lil batted away the winged creatures.

"Save your energy! You'll need it!" the demonic lady replied back, unperturbed by the angel's remark that garnered a sigh of frustration from Froze. However, Nova simply reached an arm over, being careful so as not to fall.

"Just relax and enjoy the ride, Froze," the Nephilim simply calmed her colleague's nerves. "It'll be over soon. I'm actually rather grateful since it'll save us valuable time rather than wasting it by trudging through the marsh."

The Gremlin Skaal merely blew a ring of herbal smoke out of his mouth. "She's certainly reckless, but strong. Even I can recognize there is more to Dame Lil than you may realize. She does have a powerful aura about her."

"I must admit," Froze finally conceded the point, "there is a ring of truth to that in some respects."

"See? You do acknowledge my strengths," Lil giggled in her bat form, glad she made a good impression.

Although Macarona giggled too since she liked this interaction, she couldn't help but feel like Froze and the Skaal might've been referring to the other matters surrounding her demonic friend from the Devil's Kingdom. Though she pushed such concerns to the side for now and allowed the expedition to come first instead of being the concern that was dropped for the time being when the sight of a water temple appeared within the center of a massive lake. "Look, there's Crystallis!" she pointed out the spectacle for the others to see as they came upon an ancient stone temple.

"Well, well, we've made it," her demonic friend uttered and gradually descended to a stone pavement that served as a platform for them to land on. "See? Told you it'd be quick!" She may not have been the one alluding to a speedy means of travel a couple minutes ago, though the implication had come across in their conversation just then.

"It still doesn't mean there aren't traps lying around with intelligent spirits ambushing us," Froze retorted.

"Can't argue with that, but hey, let's spring them anyway!" Lil spoke back enthusiastically, unoffended by Froze's tone of voice when the angel pointed that out because she recognized it as being a legitimate concern. After dropping everybody off and resuming her normal form once more, the demon stepped forward to stretch her arms. "How's about we walk straight in, bust the door down, and start kicking ass all over the place?" she asked, looking forward to an exciting bout against the spirits—if any were intelligent and hostile—and the Makara inside the temple.

"You do realize the bridge isn't up, right?" Froze inquired rhetorically, somewhat sharply too.

"Yep!" the demon commented, cracking her knuckles, acknowledging the point. "We just have to raise it."

"But how?" Macarona asked, glancing around at a bunch of old symbols on the ground around them. There were also several levers that had to be pulled too, stone constructs that aged over years and decades of inactivity. She sauntered over towards one and examined it, noting the foliage that grew on it as a result of seeds that must've fallen. Much time had passed, and these seeds had developed into foliage that now must've contributed to the inactive state. "This looks like some kind of way to raise the bridge if I'm correct. A puzzle, perhaps, though how do we acquire the solution? Surely soldiers of Miss Etihw's army left behind clues as to solving it if they managed to leave once the deadly battle between them and Roxas was over. There's a way in, but there also had to have been a way out too, right?"

"Precisely, Macarona," Nova replied and examined the same lever the young angel was analyzing. Artefacts were littered all over the ground, old weapons and armor pieces strewn about haphazardly. These relics were crucial for their work, so they needed to be careful when walking around here. "This appears to be the only way in from what a collection of accounts from the war state, but it is certainly connected to a similar set of levers inside the grounds of Crystallis." Pulling a pair of binoculars out of her knapsack pouch, the Nephilim peered through them to examine the defaced wall across the lake from where they stood. A few minutes passed and she eventually took flight to analyze everything else from an aerial perspective, keeping her distance as she examined the walls of Crystallis for any clues they'd be able to make use of if possible. Returning to the platform with a sigh, she put the binoculars away. "I looked everywhere across the structure, though there isn't much to go off of. Documents say it was constructed with average stone bricks and cinderblocks by the angelic army, though records of the entrance do not describe the nature of getting within it. Understandable of course because these files had to be kept hidden from the demons so they wouldn't have discovered the code, leaving the normal way in closed unless they produced an alternative route in by chance—that wouldn't be likely because blueprints would've still been drafted. Plus the demons never broke in the hard way."

"Meaning this puzzle is our only way in," Froze easily concluded from Nova's explanation and theory.

"It seems to be the case, yes," the Nephilim concurred and stepped back to examine all the levers. "But how?"

"How do we solve it, you mean?" Lil stated rhetorically. "Easy, simple process of elimination, of course."

"Except there could be traps the angels set up which might not have been deactivated when this place was decommissioned by the army following the peace treaty Lord Kcalb and Lady Etihw established," Froze added an additional concern that needed to be addressed too. "No documents have stated whether that was the case or not."

"There is a way, alright," Skaal Mozig confirmed what they already discussed and concluded, hopping down from Macarona's shoulder which he clambered onto when Nova flew around the temple's perimeter. Using his pipe which he pointed at the symbols on the platform, he indicated these were the key they needed. "These symbols aren't familiar to you even if your archives may contain portrayals of them. They're an old dialect, one Gremlins of Norges regularly write in whenever they pose inquiries to our spirits and deities. We discovered this in our first years."

"Wait, this is an ancient language?" Nova checked for confirmation from him which the Skaal replied to.

"Precisely, Dame Nova, a dialect once spoken by those of the Light both before and during your war."

"Ah, that makes sense," the Nephilim formed a fist with one hand and it on top of her other palm. To her and Froze, the mystery was becoming clear now that this important piece of the puzzle was revealed to them. They were unaware of what exactly their significance meant, though now the two colleagues realized it was not as complex as a puzzle like this one appeared to be. "I get it now, yeah. These symbols were once part of a dialect the angels spoke."

"Back when this world was originally split into a heaven and an underworld with a realm for humans within the middle of the two?" Macarona asked, clarifying the subject further because all worlds possessed a variety of dialects. Languages were split in between the three she mentioned, forming three distinct groups in which the humans shared diverse languages between themselves and angels and demons each only spoke one dialect in their world alongside a dialect shared by other angels and demons in other worlds. Yet the angels and demons were also familiar with dialects spoken by each other too, but only engaged in conversation whenever encountering those of the opposing side.

"Indeed, though I'm afraid languages are not my specialty," Nova answered her with a bit of bad news.

"Nor are they mine," Froze also commented, expressing her lack of oral expertise in the field. "If Skaal Mozig knows the language, we can make some progress. Still, we should've come prepared with a linguistic expert."

"Exactly why you must always possess a Hoyttaler in your group," the Skaal chided them for neglecting an individual who would've been more familiar with the language than they were, someone who could even speak that dialect as well. "One does not make speech with those they cannot understand, for they shall hit a language barrier."

"Duly noted," Nova conceded the point, "though to be fair, the records for this code might be hard to locate. Back home Froze and I analyzed each and every single document on Crystallis that was relevant to our expedition. I searched high and low for everything with her. Nothing was found regarding how to get in if the bridge was down, leading me to suspect this particular set of however many files on it was either lost among others or not recorded."

"But copies could be acquired from other towns like Susent, right?" Lil asked. "Why not get them there?"

"Like you said, Lil, they are copies—copies which also might not be available for exactly the same reason," Froze replied to explain the issue. "The first preliminary expedition already went through all the files in Susent."

"Finding nothing pertaining to the order of these levers," Macarona theorized based on the latter comment. "Long story short, we just might have to perform a process of elimination as Lil said in the event Skaal Mozig is not familiar with this particular set of symbols. But then we're left with the issue of moving them because they're old."

Putting a finger to her chin as she shut her eyes, Froze tipped her head down deep in thought as she thought of how they could solve the latter problem. "Skaal Mozig could certainly tell us the order if he can read them and knows whatever the answer may be. As to moving them, we could be able to loosen the gears within them after getting the mechanisms wet first. The water could dampen any rust within, and fire might burn it away once the residue is soft enough to be cleared via this method, or it could just disintegrate the substance—whichever means works will suffice." Unable to suppress a sigh, Froze set her staff against one of the levers and crossed her arms while staring off into the distance. "I wish Yosaf was here; she could breathe fire so we wouldn't have to deal with building up firewood." A metallic gleam shone in the sun for a brief moment as if to solve their need for fire, catching Froze's attention as she glanced at it. "Huh? What's this? A socket for an orb of some kind?" she put the notion forward to everyone else.

Lil smiled as she walked over to examine the young angel's finding. "Looks like you got yourself a solution," the demonic lady murmured and traced her finger along the outer rim where something could've been inserted into this device. "I'd say the angels must've developed a set of magical keys and hid them somewhere. I wager it's Crystallis."

"What makes you certain these things are in the water temple?" Nova asked, wondering how Lil reached a conclusion like that already without needing to establish a hypothesis on what the objects were and where they were.

"Think about it," the demon responded and stepped towards the center of the platform while answering her. "The angels wanted to hold off this Roxas guy and prevent his forces from seizing this area during the war. They put heads together and come up with the idea of constructing certain objects as keys in order to seal the water temple off. They've must've placed a spell over these levers to petrify them, turning the mechanisms to stone that wouldn't revert back to their original state unless the keys are reinserted. One problem remains, however: to remove the keys, angels had to remain outside of Crystallis in order to remove them and lower the bridge so the demons wouldn't cross since the water's got some kind of enchantment on it that stops them from proceeding. But then the demons would've simply slaughtered them for the keys, meaning there had to be a way for the angels to get these keys inside Crystallis as this location was the only place left where angels could stay in this region. The bridge would have to have been developed with a timer of sorts, the magic lowering it from this end where we're standing and working its way along the process along towards that other side, letting angels have just enough time to run across it as this bridge was lowering. You've also got to consider the notion of them flying into the courtyard, though a magical barrier was built by them too, and I'm wagering it still stands to this day much like how everything else would too." Lil grinned, pleased with her logic. Her forward thinking of the situation and how she arrived at the conclusion impressed them as they realized she was right. However, Froze spoke up right away with a counterpoint that opposed something the demonic lady already said.

"But what if the angels were able to flee through the demons? They weren't immediately surrounded. A very small squad of the angels could've made a break for it to report back to inform Lady Etihw that the site was secure."

The smile never left Lil's face as she turned to address the young angel. "We listened to every detail of Nova's PowerPoint presentation, remember?" she reminded her. "The demons would've caught their tracks and could have simply sent a battalion of soldiers after them. Troops specialized in tracking down angels would have had no trouble following their prey. I do get the idea of them running into a larger force of angels who might've encountered another smaller squad of their own, but do recall that Nova said the entire region was surrounded by demons. Crystallis was where a monolith that helped maintain the barrier in this part of your old world was located. It is within the temple itself and Roxas couldn't get past that larger barrier unless he had the keys to bring up the bridge from beneath the lake. Yet the bridge had to be connected with the barrier, thus lowering that too once the keys were inserted into the levers."

"So angels couldn't regroup with their allies because they had to protect the monolith," Macarona concluded, following the logic her demonic friend was using, amazed by how well thought out that plan of action was and how everything was laid out easily by Lil. "They were surrounded and had nowhere to go but inside the water temple."

"Correct, Macarona!" Lil raised an arm up to point at her. "Out here, they weren't safe even if a larger force remained inside because the demons could've acquired the keys easily. In there they were, hence why the keys must be within Crystallis. The very keys they needed were their salvation to surviving, and that is why they protected them."

"But then we can't get in," Froze murmured, believing Lil discovered an impossible solution they couldn't reach if the demon's theory just so happened to be true. "Our expedition would be restricted to this platform alone."

"Another answer I've thought of already," the demonic lady replied. "Spiritual energy, of course."

The other girls blinked. "Spiritual energy?" Nova repeated the words in the form of a question. "You mean ghosts could've passed through the barrier? Sorry if I'm not really following your logic all that well, Lil. It's just that I'm having difficulty comprehending it from the angle you're explaining it from. Could you clarify the objective of this?"

"Yep! We did talk about intelligent spirits, remember?" Lil posed her idea to them. "What if they are not bound to laws and properties utilized to construct the barrier around Crystallis, especially if they are demonic spirits?"

Although Macarona and Froze might not have really understood where Lil was going with this even though they could comprehend what she was saying, Nova immediately got it right away as she also got an idea. "Of course, that's got to be it, Lil! Intelligent demonic spirits could possibly cross the barrier into the temple uninhibited because it wasn't constructed by Etihw. The Goddess had to apply her magic to keep out spirits too, but she didn't have a hand in developing it because she was away in the capital whenever she wasn't fighting the demons with her subordinates."

"Let me get this straight," Froze attempted to better comprehend the subject they were discussing. "Demons who've died may have a chance of becoming intelligent spirits who could penetrate the barrier unobstructed by any obstacles in their path. They can steal the keys that way for their army. A likely scenario if that actually happened, Lil. Remember, the angels managed to hold off the demons here; surely they would've at least safeguarded the keys by obviously protecting them with magic if they considered the very notion you're projecting. We also have to still find where the keys were taken by the demons if they even did manage to acquire them, and they could be anywhere."

"Yes, that is an issue," Macarona concurred, realizing the keys might not have even been in Neyrom Marsh.

"Not if the intelligent spirits were from Roxas' supporters after peace was made," Lil went on, believing in her theory while adding another piece of the puzzle onto it to better clarify and elaborate on the matter. "They'll have it."

"Okay, that narrows our field of scrutiny," Nova agreed, acknowledging that part since it meant the ghosts who've been loyal to Roxas would've retained the keys as intelligent spirits in this region. "Accounting for that detail, we'll only need to look throughout this whole region which decreases the amount of time spent searching other spaces. We've still got to find it here which would still take plenty of time, but at least we won't have to look elsewhere."

"Precisely," the demonic lady continued further along with this idea of hers. "And where would the spirits be?" she then inquired rhetorically. "I'll bet they wouldn't dare enter territory inhabited by the spirits of those loyal to the Devil because of a feuding battle between the two factions. They could theoretically defeat angels' intelligent spirits as they're enemies of the angels, thus leading to them securing the keys after being victorious over them. They would have finally accomplished their objective by seizing Crystallis even though the purpose of taking the water temple is pretty dead."

"Again, that decreases the scope of both time and the area," the Nephilim concurred yet again prior to making a counterargument against this notion. "However, the keys could still be in Crystallis. Then again, I suppose the demons might not be able to utilize them if they knew how to because of magic only the angels could've used. Besides, they became intelligent spirits as we're theorizing, meaning they wouldn't even need the keys at all to pass the barrier."

"Therefore, the keys would've been nothing but useless junk to them in that deceased state," Lil concluded, feeling she thought that through very well and placing trust in her own judgment of the events they were discussing. "And what do we do with useless junk when we don't need it? When it becomes so pointless we can't even use it at all?"

Macarona's eyes widened as a glint shone in them, finally reaching the same conclusion her demonic friend spoke of. "We throw it out," she declared, sticking a finger in the air as she realized the genius in this hypothesis. "The demons disposed of these keys, aware they couldn't even use them as intelligent spirits. Or simply not use them at all."

"A legitimate theory, one I could get behind," Froze remarked, also understanding it, "if not for a problem."

"You and your problems, Froze," Lil joked, giggling since she thought it was a bit funny. "What is it?"

"Which of the demons would be so powerful as to pass through the barrier as ghosts?" the young angel put that inquiry forward despite proceeding to answer it. "There may be likely candidates like Roxas if they became entities."

"Though we know Roxas was quite a powerful demon, even if he wasn't as strong as others like Yosaflame, Lost, and Cranber," Nova went on while her colleague turned back to the water, gazing at it when the angelic girl was attracted by the sight of several lights shining deep beneath the surface. These lights were moving, though they couldn't really be made out well because of how murky the water was and how the water seemed to move in sync with them. "Roxas, if he became an intelligent spirit, would've been placed in a position where he could go through the barrier and seize the keys. He'd dispose of them and use any spells in his arsenal that could've potentially weakened the barrier." Discussing this notion with the other girls and Skaal Mozig, they all didn't notice that Froze began to take flight while following the lights that captured her attention. They moved fast and she beat her wings faster to keep up, being drawn towards the water temple with the lights moving around as if attempting to confuse her. Though the angel kept up, keeping herself close to the lights as she narrowed her eyes, descending closer to the water for a better observation when Froze noticed something peculiar about them. The lights were beginning to ascend and get closer to her position. Froze went to get her staff before realizing she forgot it at the platform, cursing her luck as she then reached her hand out…

There was a sudden eruption of water splashing her whole as Froze shut her eyes tight to avoid blinding them. Flying back a few feet out of surprise while also covering her mouth, the angelic girl opened them moments later and screamed. Directly below her, shooting upward out of the water with its giant, crocodile like maw, was the Makara. It chose this moment to strike, lashing out at her for a bite of what it thought was a tasty, angelic delicacy. The speed with which the beast shot out of the water and those rows of sharp teeth in its jaws were enough to frighten anyone weak of courage. Froze clearly wasn't, but the attack startled her so badly with her helpless that she couldn't fight back.

"FROZE!" Macarona screamed, watching her friend be pulled down beneath the water's surface by a beast which quickly pounced on her, having rapidly gained on the angelic girl until it was too late for Froze to escape. At this moment Macarona sprang into action and pulled her mask up, sprinting towards the water and diving in to save her friend's life. She swam as fast as she could, catching sight of an outline moving fast with another outline struggling.

Caught in the foe's maw, her eyes closed as she fought to free herself from its grip, Froze felt her back was arched against the lower jaw and the Makara's teeth. She could feel them pricking into her backside, poking her very rudely with the upper jaw trying to fully clamp down on her. Holding it up with what little strength she had left while feeling it fade from her arms, believing she was going to die here and become a meal, Froze partially opened her eyes. Glimpsing the Makara still using its own strength to force its upper jaw down, the young angel thought this was a final sight of what would've been her death. Her life flashed before her eyes, though abruptly ended with the sight of two intensely red beads appearing out of nowhere right before her, directly in her face which scared her just as badly as the Makara had when it dragged her underwater. Froze tried not to scream, yet her mouth instinctively opened allowing plenty of filthy water passage into her mouth and down her esophagus, threatening to drown her lungs with water.

Suddenly she felt an intense pressure on her side while struggling, seconds later finding she had managed to escape somewhat when her assailant jerked about violently as if attacked. A sharp pang of pain jolted throughout her entire body from her left side, blood seeping through gashes from the teeth that finally penetrated her armor. Losing much blood, Froze felt her vision begin to darken somewhat despite seeing two bright green outlines lit up. Appearing in the shape of hands and realizing that it must've been Macarona since she recognized the somatomantic energy Macarona built up and utilized to deliver punishing blows, the blond angel observed two additional feet-like lights appear too. Watching her friend kick the Makara's stomach hard while grabbing onto its side, Froze began hearing explosions just above her as if they were coming from above water and below it too with the closest range being around the monster. Sinking deeper into the water, having lost the strength to swim away because she lost so much blood, her eyes closed when her vision went completely dark. Falling unconscious, she hadn't realized time was passing with her unaware.

Dealing a sharp kick to the Makara's abdomen while gripping both arms in a position where she could avoid its maw, Macarona could easily hold her breath because of the mask's enchantment which not only protected her from venomous poison and diseases, but also allowed her extra time underwater before she had to resurface. The sight of a darkened form mounting this beast had her attention as she did her best to dodge the spells this intelligent spirit was shooting at her. She couldn't deal with the rider just yet, however, for its mount came first as did Froze whom she'd begun to notice was sinking further down into the deeper recesses of this massive lake. Another kick from her smashed against the Makara's torso once again, the somatomantic energy applying enough force to actually penetrate the body before she yanked her leg out of it. With their foe impeded by the grievous wound, Macarona took the opportunity to swim down and save Froze. Grasping her friend in both arms once she had her, the young angelic grappler kicked her legs against the water to swim upwards where she eventually emerged above the surface. Her wings were wet, so she could not fly despite the fact it wasn't her immediate concern. "Froze!" she cried out in alarm, holding the other angel. "Stay with me, Froze! Hold on, I'll get your staff!" Throwing her head to look at the platform, Macarona saw Mozig was continuing a ritual much like the very one he performed before they entered this part of the marsh. The winds he summoned were kicking up, drawing the intelligent spirits of a militant force that attacked them when she went for Froze into midair. Utilizing this opportunity to their advantage, Lil split into four copies of herself which together produced a massively large orb of darkness that ultimately erupted, the magical energy ripping into the ghosts to tear them apart into nothing.

"Macarona," Nova shouted from across the lake and seized her colleague's staff to throw it like a javelin, "here, take the staff!" Arching her arm back, the Nephilim threw Froze's staff towards the angels and immediately developed a watery construct that caught it and brought the staff over to them. Accepting the staff and making use of healing magic within the die on top because she learned how to use healing spells in school, Macarona breathed deeply while letting Froze's staff handle much of the process. Once she was certain her friend would be alright, she gently handed Froze to Nova's construct with the staff so it could keep healing her while taking Froze to safety back where Nova and Mozig were. Pulling something out of the knapsack pouch around her waist, the girl opened her fist to gaze upon something she believed was one of the keys they needed. Looking down at the water and catching sight of the other lights, Macarona realized the only way to get them was to fight the Makara and its rider. Emerging victorious was her only option.

"Nova! I'm going back under for the other keys!" she shouted to the Nephilim before diving under again.

"W-wait, what?! That's crazy, Macarona!" Nova tried to protest, but to no avail as she was too late. Watching Macarona submerged, she could only hope the angel had a plan and was fast enough to escape if things went deadly.

Underneath the water's surface, Macarona did indeed have options. She could've continued to fight against her foes underwater or attempt to lead them closer to the water's edge where the shallow waters would improve chances of her victory by providing Lil with an opportunity to hoist their enemies out onto dry land and into the air where they'd be utterly helpless against her attacks. Although these were likely demonic spirits, even they appeared too weak to handle her friend's stronger attacks which gave them an edge. Seeing the Makara had a few more lights embedded into its body, Macarona knew these were the keys because of how similar they were to the other one she took from it. Apparently this one spirit mounting it used the orb-like keys to try and empower its mount. Removing them would drain the power, exactly what the angel hoped to accomplish by fighting against it because then it'd be left in a much weaker state.

The Makara was much larger than she was, yet Macarona used that to her advantage despite choosing to go for an overly dangerous approach from the front. Taking the risk as she watched its jaws open up, she shot forward into its mouth and immediately propelled herself out once the upper jaw was in her grasp. Using her strength and somatomantic energy, Macarona successfully ripped the upper jaw asunder. Much blood seeped out of the wound, gushing forth as the water became stained by its blood. As this deadly strike managed to severely injure the Makara, Macarona seized two more keys from it, leaving only one left which the spirit snatched up. Unable to use the keys' power to heal itself, the Makara died from its wounds as its rider raised a smoky black hand to shoot out a giant tree branch at Macarona. An attack like this geomantic assault could only suggest that the spirit's identity was none other than Roxas and this was confirmed by the fact various openings along it released noxious fumes underwater. Luckily Macarona had her mask on, protected from the poisonous diseases within these gases that harmed the watery ecosystem, but not her as she dealt a critical punch to the branch to shatter it. Realizing it couldn't stop her, Roxas' ghost ascended above the surface and immediately found himself ensnared by dark tendrils of a spell Lil cast before forming into bats. Driving at him like a drill, her bats made a painful impact against his torso and that shoved him into the air where all his minions had perished.

Lil's bats also picked up Macarona once the angel reached the surface and lifted her into the air too so they could perform a duel strike against Roxas. "Macarona! Here's some of my magic!" the demonic lady called out while she applied dark magic to the somatomantic energy circulating around Macarona's hands and feet, empowering her limbs.

"Alright, thanks, Lil!" the young angel replied gratefully as she was brought up to Roxas' level. His ghost was helpless, unable to perform an adequate counterattack that could've stopped their duel strike. Although he attempted to conjure another tree branch as a shield, Macarona somersaulted backwards and delivered a crushing blow with one foot. The attack shattered the branch into pieces like her previous punch had done to the other one, not only destroying it, but also sending Roxas' spirit flying into the ground near the platform. With the energy from Lil's spell still applied to her, Macarona quickly rushed over to the ground and snatched the remaining key from Roxas. Watching his ghost begin shimmering as if trying to dissipate, the angelic fighter formed a fist with one hand and unleashed a battle cry while pummeling the ghost's head into the ground, striking him directly in the face. Breathing heavily once his spirit was no more, having been vanquished completely, Macarona gathered all the keys in one hand and approached the others.

Regaining consciousness, Froze gasped heavily and shot into a sitting position, coughing hard to clear away water in her lungs. Aided by Nova who had placed an arm around her, holding her colleague's body in her arms after Froze finished choking, the angel whipped her head around to check if the horror she'd been through was over. "Ah, that was certainly a scary experience. I believe I would've almost died had Macarona not come for me soon enough."

"At least you're alive and well, Froze," Nova gently chided her, "but remember what I said when we arrived before? Always be careful of your surroundings and be sure you're equipped to handle any dangers around you."

"Sorry, I should've realized I didn't have my staff on me at the moment," the young angel apologized while Macarona took a seat beside them with Lil joining the group. Only Mozig remained apart, maintaining a short distance away from them. "I expected it was dangerous, but never did it occur to me that it was the Makara. That was scary."

"Well, now you've learned your lesson," Lil commented amicably. "Next time hold onto your staff."

Hearing her demonic friend receive a response of affirmation from the other angel, Macarona, one of the only two other members of their group who hadn't said anything yet, was still taking deep breaths to recover her strength. "That was…" she murmured softly, but loud enough for the others to hear her. She took another deep breath before going on, a smile broadening across her face before she went on. "That was so awesome! We were such a great team, Lil!"

Froze merely blinked in surprise, shocked her friend actually enjoyed the conflict. "H-huh, w-wha…?"

"Oh, I know, right, Macarona?! It was such an amazing kick! And that punch you delivered?! Awesome!" Lil joined in on the post-battle victory conversation, evidently impressed by how they won and what had happened.

"It so was not!" Froze retorted, feeling angry over their sudden change in gears from her being on the brink of death to them winning a fight spectacularly. "I was literally on the verge of death! I could have died out there!"

"But you didn't," Nova rubbed her colleague's head to try calming her down. "And it was your mistake. I know it's wrong to blame you for forgetting your staff because you forget about in the moment of discovery. It happens to the best of us, including me. Still, you really do need to be more careful on these expeditions, Froze. I know you can do better than this; next time have somebody go with you whenever you're investigating something really important, okay?"

Her angelic colleague sighed, knowing the Nephilim was correct. "Yes, I know. Sorry I snapped."

"Oh, don't worry, I'm the one who should apologize for neglecting your health in the heat of the aftermath," Macarona uttered, standing up to help Lil inset the orb-like keys into the sockets of each lever. "Sorry, I got carried away with my excitement at having won. I'm glad you're okay, Froze." Letting the magic within each key convert the stony appearance back into the regular gears they originally were like before being petrified, she and Lil waited by them so Mozig could direct them to whichever levers had to be pulled. "Okay, Skaal Mozig, what would the correct order be?"

"Simple, it goes like this…" the Gremlin Skaal pointed at each symbol that matched up with a respective lever by each of them. "And if I may, Dame Macarona, I suggest you dive back down and cut off some scales from the Makara. You are its slayer, and thus you're worthy of being the one who claims a hunting trophy from its cadaver."

"Oh, alright, does anyone happen to have a knife of some kind I could use?" she asked, looking to the others.

"There's one in my knapsack," Nova offered, getting the knife out and handing it to her. "If you want to go ahead and swim down now while we're still resting for a bit, feel free to. Just try not to be too long, okay, Macarona?"

The young angel smiled. "Sure, I'll also bring up some scales for you all as well," she remarked to them.

…

 **And thus the expedition to Crystallis comes to an end. I apologize for getting this uploaded much later than I originally expected. Some important things came up and I had to deal with them. Thankfully I'm back on schedule and will begin working on the next chapter and the boss battle with it real soon. Look forward to it.**

 **The stone tape theory I mentioned earlier in this chapter works exactly the way I described it. Thomas Charles Lethbridge, an archaeologist who became a parapsychologist, coined the notion in 1961; though it had become popular with the development of a BBC product produced for Christmas in 1972 called the Stone Tape. This popular idea was not without criticism, however, for Lewis Vaughn and Theodore Schick both claimed there were no such mechanisms in inactive objects that didn't share the same properties reels of tape do in a book they both wrote entitled How to Think about Weird Things: Critical Thinking for a New Age. Another critic, Richard Wiseman, also put forth the same critique; albeit in similar wording while emphasizing how there isn't scientific evidence to support the stone tape theory. This is pretty much everything I found on it on Wikipedia; though as somebody who watched the Ghost Adventures show on the Travel Channel, I personally believe this is a valid theory as it appears to have proven it in my opinion on many of the paranormal investigations.**


	11. Chapter Eleven: Vs Anten

He remained silent in the shadows that night, watching the novice enjoy a nice meal out with the creation. The little girl was smiling widely, loving the dinner her caregiver purchased for her as he himself became fond of his own meal. Their conversation over dinner was sweet, a discussion about what they did today with Envi inquiring about what she liked about this world so far and what her favorite things about it were. Anten couldn't stand it because of how annoying it was; they were assassins, not some babysitters or fetchers. Satanick ordered them to locate his wife and reclaim her from this world, though none of them accomplished that so far even with a conception they've established at first based on Lil's preferences. That was proven wrong, and they've heard nothing about her departing Gray Village for another town because they still wanted to confirm she was somewhere in this town. If not, they'd ask at the train station regarding her whereabouts and if she traveled elsewhere before following her trail to wherever she traveled next.

The more irritated veteran just stood calmly against the wall of a building, his corporal form not showing up because he didn't want anybody to see him as he melded into the shadows like Daimonji. It wasn't like he became some kind of ghost or something of the like since people passed right by him and directly through the very spot he stood in. They didn't complain about feelings chills brought about by the spiritual ectoplasmic energy that comprised ghosts which meant his position wasn't compromised. The same couldn't have been said for the novice and that damn creation of the late doctor's since he observed somebody approach the two of them. Anten heard every word they said to him, this strange guy coming across as amicable towards them as if he was welcoming foreigners to his world, becoming curious as to where they were from and what they did. The veteran growled upon hearing the novice mention the Devil's Kingdom as a place they traveled to when fabricating a false statement about where they were from. His anger only increased at the sight of those prototype stones being displayed to that demon from this world, though he restrained himself from acting hastily because Envi explained the stones were produced in the Devil's Kingdom as a commodity.

 _"Some liar you are, kid…"_ Anten thought to himself and started to move away, changing his position so he wouldn't get caught hanging too closely to the novice assassin. _"You're making for a poor assassin already…as if you have any shot at becoming a professional by not acknowledging the guy as being a plainclothesman…"_ Maybe Envi did, but Anten couldn't be sure of that based on the conversation. The goat demon was practically saying they'd been to the Devil's Kingdom which, if anyone from the Gray Garden was intelligent enough to realize, was warrant for suspicion. Envi even showed off those damn prototype stones while lying about them being a regular item sold in stores as if it would've thrown the inhabitants and authorities of this world off their real business for being here. It would clearly bring up the idea as a possibility, though it wouldn't divert attention from everyone since they'd still be highly suspicious.

At least the goat demon was making an attempt to alleviate that concern, but the end result would've been satisfactory more than trying and failing would've. Still, Envi couldn't do anything but entertain the demon's inquiries because assassinating him now—out in the very open with witnesses all around—would've blown their cover. Anten understood that much, but he'd be damned if they didn't do something about this other demon. Entering an alleyway, Anten put a hand up to his ear to activate a miniature wireless radio. "Hey, Daimonji…" he murmured quietly while contacting his fellow veteran, "we've got a problem. The novice's talking with a demon from this world. Could be a plainclothesman from the castle sent to investigate him after their visit to Blancblack Castle before. Watch him, okay?"

"I've already got my eye on him, Anten," the other demon replied. "I shall observe his movements. You're to remain with Envi and Crea and observe the both of them. If they're in any trouble they can't escape from, aid them." Daimonji's orders made Anten growl at the thought of babysitting the rookie and his charge. "Don't be reckless."

"We could at least cover more ground by splitting up to search additional areas instead of staying in one spot."

"And risk blowing our cover if Envi and Crea are caught? Absolutely not; out of the question, Anten."

"We're already too close to him as it is," Anten argued back, countering the orders. "We should distance ourselves from those two to widen the scope of our investigation." His response was reasonable, and he hoped it would work. For once on this particular mission he was using logic better than he felt he was using it earlier. "Any thoughts?"

"If you wish to widen the scope, ascend to the top of a building and walk the roof's perimeter," Daimonji advised him, compromising with his comrade to satisfy Anten's request. At the same time, he'd also ensure they were careful by sticking close to Crea and Envi. "That should increase the space of the area you're looking in. The demon's leaving now, so I'll follow him to see where he goes. As I've said, you're to remain with these two and help them."

Anten sighed, frustrated his companion wouldn't fully agree to grant him permission to search elsewhere. "Alright, fine, I'll stick close to the novice and his little shit. Anten out." Taking his arm down, the demonic assassin glanced up the wall of the structure to his left. Scaling it within the shadows, he reached the rooftop within seconds. Beginning to saunter around the perimeter like Daimonji instructed him to, he kept his eye open for any activity that would've come across as suspicious, or the presence of Lil somewhere nearby. Casting a quick look to his watch and ascertaining that it was eight fifteen, Anten resumed his search of the streets below. There was a kind of festival occurring, a type of nightly flea market intertwined with displays of various trinkets and other commodities alongside other products and cultural pieces up for display so the public could admire and purchase some items. Searching through it was like attempting to locate a needle in a haystack, that needle being Lil amongst a haystack of numerous individuals present.

Shutting his eyes temporarily and sighing in exasperation, Anten figured it'd be unlikely finding her amongst so many people tonight, believing they'd have better luck during the day tomorrow or tomorrow night if that late. They haven't been here for too long so far, just a couple nights and one day at the most, though they had to find her quickly. Opening his eyes for another check of the street he stood above, Anten scanned the crowd for that familiar sight of Satanick's batty wife until his eyes eventually caught sight of the familiar presence he was searching for as the lady in question turned the corner with an angel at her side. Keeping a close watch on the pair, unaware of what they spoke of because of the distance between him and them, the demonic assassin observed their movements as the pair examined each stall where vendors sold their wares and displayed stuff to show off said wares. He didn't need any elaboration on Lil's appearance, though the angel at her side was something of an enigma to Anten. She looked young, very youthful. Her attire was a combination of green and red clothes with a bit of white mixed in, and crosses decorated her outfit. If Anten didn't know any better, this girl was probably some kind of schoolgirl inexperienced in battle; the young angel didn't come across as a threat or a difficult obstacle to him, indicating he could take care of her with ease. This girl's presence by Lil suggested she was a guide for the demonic lady, acting as an escort and entourage around the town.

Anten half wondered if he should've alerted Daimonji to his discovery. Envi was out of the question because he was still with Crea and the two of them were maintaining their cover as tourists, plus the goat demon was a novice. Daimonji was still likely tailing the demon those two spoke with minutes ago, so perhaps he couldn't make it in time; besides, he would've simply ordered Anten to watch Lil's movements and analyze the angel with her. Left with two decisions, the demonic assassin could've either done just that or initiate the recovery of Lil at once. Doing so would've secured a chance to leave this boring world at once if he was successful. The idea made him smile as he hated this place.

…

Joachim casually sauntered back to the hardware store where he and an associate agreed to meet. His footfalls couldn't echo amongst the throng of other people attending the festival, improving his chances of not getting caught by anybody who suspected him of being involved with the authorities. Blending into the crowd, the chameleon demon strode forward towards his destination, changing colors to better hide amongst the people he passed. His outfit was reminiscent of his military service during the war, consisting of an army jacket unzipped to reveal a plain red polo shirt while regular army jeans and boots finished the apparel. This style was considered a classic, a popular style favored by some adventurers and hunters who used to be part of the respective armies and various guilds involved with combat. Because some other individuals here wore it too, Joachim found it easy to be like them when coming across as a regular person like them—which he was, though he did work as a nightblade for the guards, hence tonight's subterfuge.

Concentrating on the crowd, he knew nobody was tailing him from among everyone else which directed his attention towards the shadows. Making use of his excellent hearing, Joachim detected the faint sound of footsteps in the direction he came from. Not wanting to turn his head to analyze the shadows since doing so could've come across as suspicion being directed toward wherever his pursuer was coming from, the chameleon demon noticed a friend come up as she was on her way to another part of town. Using this opportunity to his advantage, he greeted her and raised an arm to give her a high five and quickly turned around to make a bit of amiable small talk for a quick moment. His eyes were intensely focused on the shadows, but this tiny movement of his eyes went unnoticed due to how precise and trivial Joachim made it look like. Catching sight of a very faint outline moving away from him as if whoever was hidden in the shadows saw him turn and withdrew temporarily to avoid getting caught, the chameleon demon figured he was correct. There was someone following him, so Joachim altered his route at this moment and utilized a trick of his own by blending into the color scheme of his surroundings after crossing into an alleyway and morphing the color of his skin and clothes while entering the shadows himself. Now perfectly hidden, but still cautious about his pursuer, the nightblade resumed this alternate route and soon arrived at his destination with the pursuer nowhere to be heard or seen for the time being.

"Looks like you lost whoever tailed you," an angel commented while stepping out of the shadows as well.

"Sure did, Siegfried," Joachim responded and emerged from his own hiding place once they were safe. Since the storeowner of this hardware shop was a retired military veteran from the angels' army, he prepared a safe room for the guards in case they had to discuss their observations of any threats around the area without alerting said threats to the safe room. It was a big help being let in by him once the investigator and nightblade flashed their badges to him prior to entering before the owner returned to help his employees in the storefront where they were displaying some old batteries for small steam engines. "I could make out two at the square, though only one followed me. I lost whoever it was by the boutique. These guys are good since my squad mates had trouble finding them. Good thing I was assigned to the unit."

"Good work, Joachim, now report in," the angelic investigator got right to business. "What of the other two?"

"The ones called Envi and Crea stated they passed through a variety of underworlds, including the Devil's Kingdom, believe it or not. Envi showed me some stones which had the sense of that underworld on them and stated they were trinket commodities sold in jewelry stores there. I suspect these particular gems were also geared to hide wherever they came from since the stones might've actually come from the Devil's Kingdom and probably store demonic energy from that hell that might've been on their persons in them to ensure attention's on the gems. At least that's my theory."

"Which helps them preserve their cover," Siegfried theorized correctly as they were sitting down at a table.

"Our thoughts exactly since my fellows heard the same conversation and communicated this with me via our telepathic link as nightblades," Joachim concurred and went on with his report. "The other two demons we've sensed were hidden within the shadows of buildings, constantly on the move to avoid being caught in one place. Yet they've remained close to Envi and Crea at all times, likely to observe them act the part of tourists and perhaps provide help if they're caught. We don't know who they are exactly yet, though a couple members of the squad have the hotel under analysis to see who enters and leaves. Even they haven't discovered the identities of these other demons yet, though they're still handling the matter delicately and with careful observation. I must say, whoever these demons are, they're certainly skilled at hiding—at least the two in the shadows are with the others most likely being a distraction of sorts."

"I see; however, we have no way of knowing what their intentions are for now until something happens."

"We certainly don't," the chameleon demon agreed and stood up to head out. "But we'll keep looking. We've got eyes on Lil now she's returned with Macarona from that expedition to Crystallis with Nova and Froze. If these demons aren't coming after her in the event they're not from the Devil's Kingdom, we'll have to find out what they're after. I heard Lady Etihw likes the little girl with that goat demon and is hoping they're not malevolent towards us."

"In any case, we need to ensure our people and our world are safe," Siegfried remarked. "Good luck, Joachim."

"Thanks, you too, Siegfried," Joachim said as he left the safe room to return to the square where his squad was.

…

"Oooh, this is such a pretty, little vase, Macarona!" Lil murmured in awe of an ornately crafted vase produced from clay in a town not too far from Natoh. "The ancient designs on it are sure reminiscent of those at Crystallis."

Macarona smiled in agreement, liking the result of such artistic craftwork too. "Yeah, it certainly appears to be the same kind of dialect we saw penned on old parchment paper and the stonework there," she commented before addressing the vendor when she turned to face him. "How much is this piece worth, sir?" she asked as he checked a price tag he got out since he had just put this vase on display not too long ago, but hadn't had a moment to put the tag on.

"A hundred ten gold coins, young lady," he answered, accepting the amount the demonic lady provided as he wished them a good night while wrapping it up before they left the stall with it so he could attend to other customers.

"Man, what an amazing festival! Not too loud, but packed and serene to boot!" Lil complimented on how fun this festival was, having a swell time enjoying it as a nice break from what they experienced at Crystallis. It had only been a couple hours since they returned to Gray Village with Nova and Froze. While their friends returned to Blancblack Castle to report in of their success and how the preliminary expedition went, Macarona brought Lil over to the sporting goods store where the young angel turned in her armor so it could be cleaned up. Back at the lake after she cut off the scales and handed them around, the demonic lady got an idea that they should've presented the Makara's head as well by selling it and telling the story of how they defeated it and an entire horde of demonic apparitions from the war, including Roxas. Macarona thought it was a good idea and did just that after they toured the water temple, examining the ruins which amazingly remained quite intact despite how much damage it accrued in the Colored Rainbow Worlds' massive fight and also the passage of time. Once they were finished with that, she dove back in the water after Lil offered to enchant Nova's knife to make it cut faster and increase the edge enabling Macarona to cut off its head cleanly without trouble.

Following the conclusion of their business, they returned to the Gremlins stronghold with Mozig and dropped him off there prior to proceeding back to Susent where they took the train towards Gray Village. People commented on the repulsive smell of Neyrom Marsh on the four, particularly Macarona since she smelled the worst, though everyone in Susent was used to the aroma of freshly slain creatures in their region. That wasn't to say the inhabitants of Gray Village were, even if they were alright with so much as rotting carcasses of dead monsters adventurers and hunters brought in from their endeavors in the wilderness. How they smelled upon arriving back was somewhat worse than usual, though not too bad like in Susent and Neyrom Marsh. Thankfully Macarona and Lil returned to the former's house to shower once they concluded their trip to the sporting goods store—where the scent of slain beasts was always welcome, even if said scent penetrated crates they arrived in if stored within them for a trip on trains that delivered the dead monsters.

They had already been paid at the sporting goods store for serving as guards Nova and Froze needed and also for the Makara's head which increased their revenue from today's adventure by three thousand. Added to the original payment of seven thousand gold, the total amount was ten thousand. Half of it was wired into Macarona's back account while she and Lil split the remaining half between themselves for shopping at this festival after cleaning themselves up. Now that they had some time to enjoy the occasion, the dynamic duo strolled around the area looking at stalls and purchasing neat trinkets from vendors plying their wares for the special event. Business certainly was booming here.

Neither of them had eaten yet, preferring to let some people from a large crowd that already gathered at the space where eatery stalls were established finish their meals so they could locate a table for themselves. While they waited, Macarona and Lil opted to check out some of the foreign products brought in from other regions and worlds the Gray Garden traded with. There were even some stalls run by inhabitants of Gray Village, two of which were respectively run by the girls of The Auburn Tulip at one with Dialo helping some chefs from the local bakery at the other. Stopping by each one where their friends were working, they shared their exploits today with them and other customers at the stalls. Their tale garnered lots of awed murmurs from the people who heard it with remarks of concern for Froze after what she'd been through in the fight against Roxas and the Makara; Dialo even mentioned Yosafire would've been very worried about her angelic friend once she and Chelan heard the news as the other pair were wandering the festival together. Though the pastries Dialo and the chefs were selling smelled good, Lil and Macarona opted not to spoil their dinner by waiting until they'd eaten it first so they could come back and treat themselves to a finely baked dessert.

"A lot of festivals are like this in the Gray Garden," Macarona told her while they continued to walk around. "There's a lot of attractions you'll find at these events which might not be in some other worlds. Some are similar, but others are unique to the Gray Garden. Events like this festival are simple, yet compound in what is offered and displayed."

"Pretty much like a few other festivals I've attended in the Flower World and Shadowed Sanctuary. I've seen some good stuff, though not much because of the timing of our little assemblies. The Network of Peers is like any ordinary gathering of ladies in several respects, and we do try to meet around fun occasions whenever we can meet."

"When everyone can have fun," the young angel added while they strolled through the crowd, holding Lil's hand so neither of them would get separated from the other. "I'm sure it'll probably be about politics and negotiations on other occasions whenever they're seeing one another on official business for their respective hells and worlds, right?"

"Fundamentally so, yes," Lil responded as they turned a corner down an avenue of stalls where portraits and other forms of art were displayed sold to check out what was available. "We are a small, unofficial gathering of ladies from upper class society with you being the only exception, Macarona. I suppose Rane can also be an exception too, though she's Sin's adopted daughter and is a prominent member of her foster family despite helping Sin in a middle class shop they run together. Both of them are related to Reficul by familial bonds that enable them to be involved with politics on some scale per their respective degrees of involvement. Yet everyone else is definitely part of their political systems in their respective underworlds and worlds. I don't think I need to elaborate much further than these basic concepts."

"You don't, but I do get it clearly," Macarona commented as they were looking over some paintings in one stall. "The Network of Peers is basically a get-away from the political sphere so you can have fun hanging out with them."

"Yep, that's the way it's always been with its informal tone!" the demonic lady chuckled amicably, turning her head to gaze at a portrait of the desert landscape portrayed by an artist who painted it from above a hill by Natoh. She would've spent a few more moments observing the intricately beautiful strokes that produced such a fine scenery of sand and cacti with that desert oasis town in the background too, though quickly took Macarona's hand. Gently tugging Macarona along, Lil pulled her into a hug and turned her head somewhat to address her friend. "Hey, Macarona, let's go check something else out, okay?" she asked, lowering her voice to a hushed whisper only the young angel could hear.

"Sure, alright," Macarona consented to the request in light of her confusion as to why Lil was being quiet. It felt to her as if her demonic friend sensed something and was leading her away to safety in case whatever it was could've been dangerous. A thought that it might've been somebody from the Devil's Kingdom occurred to her, though she lowered her voice softly like Lil to avoid causing a panic that may have startled the crowd around them. "Where to?"

"Somewhere quiet, private…" Lil replied, her eyes darting to the shadows behind them for a single moment. A brief moment in fact, yet that sole second must've been enough for her to determine who or what the threat was. "A location far from the village where nobody can get hurt…Where not even the guards I've noticed nearby can find us…"

Macarona's eyes widened, but the girl didn't panic since that would've raised red flags. "You saw them?" She'd seen some guards who were actually enjoying the festival like everybody else, but hadn't considered the possibility other authorities might've been hidden in the shadows or in plain sight. Perhaps they were being secretive about the presence of Lil and any other demons from the Devil's Kingdom to protect her and observe the movements of those said demons. Still, Macarona hadn't even noticed them all that much because the guards were having a good time, at least the ones she caught sight of. Maybe they were the ones hidden in plain sight, and some might've even been in the shadows too.

"Yep…all around us," the demon confirmed for her as they quickly turned a corner, purposely letting their unknown pursuer follow them along the path they took. "Several over near the square, one of whom was a secret plainclothesman conversing with two others I unfortunately don't recognize, but I can feel the sense of my hell on them."

"You think they're the ones who are following us around, Lil?"

"Not them, but another one; there's two more from my underworld, though only one's tailing us and I know who it is. We need to lead him away from Gray Village and take him somewhere to deal with his sorry ass in secret."

"Shouldn't we alert the guards?" the angel asked as Lil brought her to the makeshift entrance for this festival.

"Not if we want to ruin the fun for everyone else," Lil responded, taking the crowd into consideration. She was thinking about their safety because she was leading the demon after them away, though Lil also took how they felt into account as well because this was a fun festival and she didn't want to ruin it for them. "Let's go to the Haunted Woods…"

"There?" Macarona inquired since she wondered if they'd need assistance from the guards at some point. Although she realized the trees in the Haunted Woods could've shielded their conflict from prying eyes, being out in the open was another viable option because then the guards would've known where to look for them in case they needed aid.

"Indeed, clearly a place for good cover where we can beat the shit out of this guy and interrogate him once I introduce you to him, Macarona. I'm positive you won't like him, though it doesn't hurt to be polite when kicking his ass."

"Very well," the young angel consented to the plan since they had the bases covered. However, there was another condition she thought about adding. "Afterwards, should we inform the authorities about these demons?"

"Sure, we'll tell them alright," Lil agreed. "We'll let them know who's involved, but keep the other two at the square under wraps for now. One of them is a little girl, and I wonder why she's here. The other guy doesn't look like somebody I know, so he must be relatively new to the trio now that my dipshit husband's reformed the group."

"So we can perform our own investigation of them?" Macarona asked rhetorically, though still felt it would've been best to let the authorities know. "Can we at least tell them we'll look into the other two while they take the others?"

"Maybe, though for now let's just get to the Haunted Woods and deal with this asshole…" Lil murmured, heading towards the cemetery with Macarona because it was the closest place to get to their destination. Macarona was aware of that as well and continued to hold her friend's hand. Nobody noticed where the two of them were heading because they rounded a corner indicating they were heading home. However, that was not their destination as others might've guessed. Only the lone demon tailing the pair would've been able to figure that out once he noticed where they were going as he followed them in secret. Whether he knew they were aware of his presence was yet to be determined, though that detail would be clarified and made clear once the girls reached the Haunted Woods. Crossing through the gate into the cemetery, Macarona and Lil traced their footsteps from a while back when they've gone to the Zeiss Orrery on a quest to eliminate Nandi Bears and Wights—with the unknown Lich and Lycanthrope present too as they discovered then. It took several minutes of walking before they reached the point where Crona lived with her uncle, and the duo proceeded to cut across the property. Entering the line of trees into the Haunted Woods, they strolled forward, purposely avoiding conflicts with undead beings that roamed the woods before coming to a clearing after taking some various turns and whatnot to locate the shrine that kept the undead at bay, the same one from days before. "Here should be good."

"It certainly looks spacey enough for a fight," Macarona agreed with her, sticking close to Lil to help her.

"Certainly, for every conflict needs space to maneuver in," the demonic lady concurred prior to turning around. Facing the direction they came from, she smirked victoriously as if the battle had already been won. "You can come out now," she called aloud to their pursuer, letting him know the jig was up. "We know you're there, so why don't you just show your ugly mug instead of hiding like the coward you are." A sinister chuckle emerged from within the shadows of the trees as the girls prepared themselves for a fight against whoever the opponent threatening them could've been.

"You sure did always have a way with words, Miss Lil," the figure uttered, leaving the shadows behind.

"Anten…" Lil hissed his name in a venomously alluring tone as if trying to draw him further into conflict. The smirk never left her face, for she was looking forward to beating the shit out of him. Macarona might not have known he was an assassin sent to retrieve her as it was impossible for Anten to slay her on his own and even with aid from his colleagues. Lil made sure to elaborate on that detail purposely to inform her angelic friend of this man's identity and his occupation along with the purpose of his visit to the Gray Garden. "I could say the same of you. You sure did always have a way with words yourself." Her smirk widened. "Oh, sorry, you're not even using those now, are you, Anten?"

The demonic assassin was smirking like her, looking forward to making an attempt to beat her. He wouldn't slaughter her, but at least he'd enjoy trying to secure victory over her in a fight on his own. The girl with her didn't look like a combatant, or a professional fighter for that matter, but he ignored the angel and spoke up to address Lil. "I will if you tempt me, Miss Lil. You've been quite the 'ghost' I should say, or rather a treasonous fugitive if I went that far."

"You already have, Anten," the demonic lady murmured to point out the rather obvious choice of words he used. "Yet you're wrong all the same. I've said nothing of machinations my dipshit husband's involved in, merely just alluding to them without providing concrete elaboration. Of course, everything I've told is still true nonetheless."

"Fair enough, they'll be glad you've not spilled only the tastiest of beans," the demonic assassin replied without caring for what he too alluded to. Lil had brought the angel with her to a secluded place in the Haunted Woods—not that he knew the name of these woods. All that mattered was him retrieving her and killing the angel quietly without making too much of a ruckus. The angel appeared to be weak in his opinion, so murdering her to cover up the lady's retrieval would've been helpful to the mission of reclaiming her by providing valuable time for him and his colleagues to escape. The authorities of this world would've likely considered the possibility this angel was slain by vicious beasts whatever their nature was, directing any investigations of her death onto the monsters and wild animals too if possible. "Your husband misses you dearly, I'm afraid. A shame I cannot assassinate you like with all of the other targets I've killed. Your little angelic friend on the other hand…" Anten chuckled sinisterly, directing his gaze towards the angel in question.

"We'd like to see you try," Macarona challenged him, building up the somatomantic energy within her.

"How bold of you to say that, considering you're talking to a professional, bitch," the assassin insulted her. "No matter, you'll be dead soon anyway. You might as well wish for a quick death instead of a very slow, painful one."

"As you should, Anten," Lil added, siding with her angelic friend to support and defend her. Raising her arms, she pressed her hands together and rubbed them menacingly. "You might want to reconsider those words, Anten. You may be a professional assassin sent to bring me back to the Devil's Kingdom, though you're out of your league. I suggest you spare yourself some torment we'll dish out on your ass by telling us who your teammates are. How about it?"

Anten grimaced. He would've scowled at the mention of that, but knew Lil probably would've figured out those two with him and Daimonji were at some point. For once he couldn't blame them, knowing the prototypes stones were inadequate as the purpose of them failed and cost them the cover—if he failed, which was likely, though he wouldn't hold back since that would ultimately mean their cover was blown. "I think not, Miss Lil. You know I've a job to do, and I'm going to enjoy this. For once I'll finally be able to singlehandedly wipe the ground with your ass instead of it being the other way around. You do have that angel at your side, you know; how pitiful for her, knowing you dragged her into a battle she has no hope of surviving in unless you hold back to protect her life at any and all costs, but I'll spare you."

"The details of whom your new playmates are, Anten?" Lil finished for him whether those were the words he planned on saying or not. "Very well, but know my friend here isn't to be trifled with. She's strong too, and together we'll pulverize ya. I did miss wrecking and trashing your ass." She smiled, taunting him some more. "You use words, Anten, though you're all talk and no bark. You realize this is us you're fighting solo here, boy. A snake in the grass is a coward."

Her insult only garnered another ominous chuckle from him as Anten tipped his head down. "Maybe so…" the demonic assassin admitted, shutting his eyes only for a moment while listening for the sound of bats emerging from the demonic lady's hair. He couldn't hear any which was good since she hadn't prepared any tricks he knew of to acquire an upper hand in this skirmish. The assassin hadn't even heard any of her bats while on the way to this secluded area either. "Craven, perhaps…" he went on, a moment later tipping his head up while he spoke. "But intelligent all the same!" Anten declared when the shadows behind him suddenly enlarged upon the trees, spreading out to shoot shadowy lances at his opponents. Macarona and Lil rushed to either side of him with his shadows all converging together on the ground right behind him, forming together and erupting to lash out at the girls. Dark tendrils whipped for the duo, medium sized orbs of dark magic pulsating and shooting out towards them. Anten rushed forward, seizing two of his lances while the others began to levitate and spread out. Some continued to shoot towards Lil and Macarona, while others guarded him.

"Hah, that's the Anten I know!" Lil laughed, her bats tackling the lances in groups which merged together when catching his weapons. Forming into copies of herself, each one applied powerful dark magic to snap the lances into two pieces each, severing their power and absorbing the magic within them into herself. "Always quick to start fights he can't win! No wonder you and the other guys were held back whenever you all tried to pin me down! Some assassin you are!"

"Sounds like you know him well, Lil!" Macarona raised her voice, leaping back to dodge a lance. Stepping on it once the thing embedded itself into the earth, the lance flipped up towards her and she caught it with ease, twirling the weapons around in a circle to block a couple more lances. They floated away before regaining momentum at her sides, attempting to pierce her from both angles. Yet Macarona anticipated this when she saw this movement and quickly ascended slightly, a hard beat of her wings shattering the sharp ends which soon dissipated with the handles when she touched down, waiting for another attack from Anten so she and Lil could counter it. The one lance was still in her grasp; the handle would've burned her hands due to the sheer power of darkness that comprised the entire weapon, though Macarona's somatomantic energy protected her from both the pain of holding it and the heat within the whole lance.

"Very well in fact to know this is but a mere warm-up compared to what else he can do!" the lady replied.

"A warm-up, yes," Anten admitted, not noticing the angel wasn't harmed by the lance in her hands. "One which serves to demonstrate what I'm really capable of. If your friend still wants that quick death, I suggest she stands down."

"Bullshit! Not happening anytime soon!" Lil spat back mischievously, still enjoying the fight however pathetic it seemed so far. This was only the opening act, after all, though she and Macarona wouldn't let it get any further. With intense speed, she was charging the assassin from midair once her clones rejoined as one with her. Macarona was right behind her, arching her arm back while she ran to throw the lance because she wasn't skilled in using such a weapon when her experience was with her martial arts, grappling, and some somatomantic combat. Chucking it towards their opponent, Lil dispersed into bats that each clashed with the other lances right before the lance her friend tossed made contact with her. Immediately reappearing as the lance morphed into her because she hid within the darkness which comprised the spell Anten initially used, she seized the lances in his hands and attempted to sweep her foot under his legs.

"Do you really believe such child's play will get you out of this mess this time?" the assassin replied in a snarky tone, getting confident as he watched Macarona rush past Lil to get him after he leapt out of the way. Letting the lady take possession of his lances, he merely produced a pair of cutlasses from within the shadows of his sleeves. They emerged, unsheathing from the ends of his sleeves with his hands firmly grasping the hilts. Landing in front of a tree, Anten leapt to the side before his angelic opponent dealt a severe punch to him, finally seeing the somatomantic energy she applied to her hands and feet and expecting the power to deal no more than a simple hole in the tree that was behind him when he initially landed in front of it. "I'll admit your playful maneuvers had an edge many times before, but playtime's over."

"Then play this!" Macarona shouted at him before her fist connected with him right before he dodged it. He had leapt away from it while taunting them—Lil specifically—though her attack continued right to the very tree behind where he'd been standing. The sheer blow of her assault had she not utilized her somatomantic energy would've done nothing to harm the tree, yet Anten believed she could've simply formed a hole the size of her hand in the tree with it. Believing that strike would've gotten her hand stuck so he could counterstrike by slicing the girl in half, Anten's eyes bulged out in shock at the sight of Macarona's assault actually smashing the entire trunk into pieces when it shattered. The natural debris consisting of tree branches, bark, leaves, and some vines flew everywhere, the earthy, tree-like dust forming a cloud. Blinded by this cloud, yet watching the angel's form sprint faster than he could notice, Anten narrowly avoided her.

"W-what the hell?!" he uttered in surprise, dodging a fierce sweeping kick that arched towards his torso, the force of this attack being felt by him even though he leapt away again and attempted to block with one cutlass. However, Macarona merely smashed it pieces with her kick just she'd done to the tree. "What kind of schoolgirl are you?!"

"One who's excelled at her craft in combat!" she answered him after breaking his cutlass, leaving only the one left. Anten simply replaced it with a halberd, converting the other cutlass into a shield and reinforcing it with more dark magic. Getting into the stance a halberdier would've stood like in combat, the demonic assassin breathed deeply and prepared himself for another assault from her. He expected Lil could've been a threat on her own despite making the attempt to beat her on his own, though the angelic girl was another matter entirely because she astonished him with her strength and speed, attributes normally inherent within stronger warriors more powerful than her. Just who was she exactly? Was this angel secretly one such combatant in disguise, moonlighting as a mere schoolgirl angel with no skills? This uncertain development was bad, the odds no longer in his favor especially when they weren't in the first place. He was challenging Lil on his own, after all, but the now imposing presence of an angel whose skill and power he hadn't counted on suggested victory was now nigh impossible to absolutely impossible. The tables finished turning, and now victory was no longer within his grasp however slim it might've been to probably slip through his fingers—now it did.

Yet just as he was constructing a defense he hoped would've secured a chance for him to flee, Anten caught sight of Lil just above him in the form of multiple bats all spinning like a drill to pierce the top of his head. Raising his shield to block the blow, he then thrust the halberd at Macarona. Unfortunately for him, she seized it easily after dodging the strike and yanked her end hard to throw him off balance and past her when she turned to the side while throwing him. Hitting a boulder, he leapt out of the way again when the halberd was thrown at him the same way she threw one of those earlier lances. The dark weapon pierced the rock and shattered it, leaving behind more rocky debris and another cloud of dust which enabled Anten to get away once it covered him. Wrapped up within it as if the dust were a blanket, Anten turned into a snake and began to slither away through tall grass underneath the trees. "You won't get away, Anten!" he could hear the demonic lady tease him from behind, aware they were tailing him. "Told you snakes were cowards!"

Anten didn't dare respond to that since it'd only risk giving away his position. He tried to be as quick as possible, though worried his movements were already alerting them to his presence. The grass was shaking wildly whenever he slithered through it, the indication serving to give away where he was and wherever he planned to. The assassin was thinking about returning to Gray Village where he could regroup with Daimonji and the other two, though there was a serious problem he hadn't considered. Although he knew the way back after memorizing it, in his panic to get away he hadn't realized he was actually going the wrong way. Undead creatures were in his path and he was lucky the things didn't notice him, preferring to attack Lil and Macarona as they chased him. Anten hoped these beasts were enough to stall them so he'd have time to flee, but unfortunately each monster quickly fell as he could hear their screeches once the two girls defeated each once in rapid succession so fast he couldn't believe his opponents felled the undead easily.

Suddenly realizing they were gaining on him right away and that this wasn't the path to Gray Village, he made a risky decision by swerving to the right into a hole at the base of a decaying tree trunk. Curling up to rest and watch them approach, hearing the beating of Macarona's wings and the noise of Lil's bats doing the same, he saw the pair land close by. The duo was just next to his hiding place, looking around for him and any sign of his position. "Huh, where'd he go?" Macarona inquired as she wondered if he could've escaped. "We were right on his trail, he couldn't have gone far."

"Oh, we'll find him soon," Lil responded, not saying her friend's name because she didn't want the angel to be known to the assassins who once guarded her in the Devil's Kingdom. Well, more like they were prison guards who ensured she was locked up for their warden, the Gentleman Devil known as Satanick. "He can hide, but not for long. He hasn't even left this general vicinity and must be within one of these trees. Anten's clever, alright, but still stupid. I'd say we should burn him out, gather some firewood and set the place ablaze; though the villagers wouldn't like the instant forest fire." Her remark about fire raised red flags in his mind at first since they might've discovered him if they were lucky enough to start with the very tree he hid within. If not, the smoke and fire could've held their attention so he could escape. Thankfully Lil allayed this concern with her own counterpoint, but Anten knew he had to do something and quick as they'd be searching around for them. He couldn't wait around because they'd probably search his hiding spot first, so the demonic assassin believed it was now or never. Formulating a pike within his mouth and growing two extra snake-like heads that would've served as his arms gripping two talwars, each empowered by an enchantment he placed upon them to increase the length of each blade, Anten waited a couple moments before choosing his moment to strike at them.

As Macarona was the closest, he'd begin with her. Shooting out of the dead tree, the assassin immediately changed the upper half of his body back to normal. The pike erupted from his mouth, his talwars positioned to strike the angel down and cut her up if she grabbed his pike. Watching her whirl around to confront him, Anten smiled when she seized the weapon just as he expected and then turned the lower half of his body back into legs. Quickly stepping forward, he attempted to slash at her like he planned, though Lil had changed into two groups of bats that knocked his blades into midair. Using the opportunity her demonic friend provided her, Macarona threw the pike down and used it as a stepping stone, propelling herself backwards into a somersault to deliver a severely critical upward kick to his chin. Sent airborne by her assault, Ante's eyes were shut temporarily due to the pain inflicted upon him. His vision was blurry when he managed to open them partially, catching one talwar while Lil grabbed the other. Anten came down first, delivering a downward slash to Macarona in the hope of killing her with it; to his dismay, her arms shot up when he went to slash, the palms held flat out. She performed a good, hard clap which perfectly met the blade as she caught it, her strike breaking it into pieces. Anten's shock at how strong she was blinded him to Lil's attack when he quickly turned into a snake again. The other talwar she had with the tip pointing down pierced his tail when he tried to barely escape from the fight once again.

Feigning unconsciousness for a few seconds, Anten was breathing heavily when he regained consciousness. Removing the blade from his right leg after turning back into a demon, the assassin whipped his head around as he staggered to his feet. He kept silent save for his heavy breathing, wincing and glancing down only at his injured leg. The girls had somehow vanished, disappearing from his sight with no clues showing where they'd gone. Anten half wondered if now was his chance to escape, though thought against it because Lil and Macarona definitely had something planned for him. He didn't know what, but found out after receiving a critical blow on his back. Reeling forward and stumbling off balance, Anten was struck once again from the side, then the other side. Next came all directions at once. His eyes were closed as he felt each blow connect, each and every impact harming his body and the skeletal structure within, leaving bruises everywhere. A pause in the blows enabled him to finally open his eyes…and with but one good look he watched Macarona appear from out nowhere, aided by Lil's bats which converged together and formed the angelic girl. She once again punched him high into the air, and immediately after split into bats once more like she and Lil had done with their previous blows of this duel strike they performed together. Forming into Macarona one last time, they kicked Anten back down to the ground, creating a small crater where his crippled body slammed into it after the girls kicked him hard.

"A-ah…d-dammit…" Anten murmured weakly, holding his head up to look at the girls who now stood over him after they both reformed their bodies using Lil's bats once their duel strike ended. "H-how the hell…did you…?"

"Well, let's just say there's more to us than meets the eye," Lil answered whatever his inquiry was, knowing he must've been asking about how strong they were together. He knew she was tough, but was unaware of how strong Macarona was. Then again, he must not have known about how compatible they were when performing duel strikes either as Lil implied. "Now then, as we've just kicked your ass by beating the shit out of you, tell us what we want to know. Who's the new guy and that little girl with him? What were you planning to do while trying to abduct and take me back to the Devil's Kingdom? What else were you seeking to accomplish? Did you honestly think I'd have revealed everything to my friends in the Gray Garden by now?" She was perfectly aware of why these guys were present in this world, though sought to find out if there was another purpose for their mission besides reclaiming her. However, in interrogating Anten and mentioning that last question, Lil also alluded to the more intricately unknown machinations secret to many, but inherent to those who knew and those who could make assumptions. Macarona certainly could, and she couldn't help but wonder what Lil was talking about besides thinking about who else had come with Anten.

"S-screw you…T-to hell w-with you…" the demonic assassin hissed at her, refusing to answer her demands. "Like hell I-I'd…s-spill beans you're already s-sharing…" Anten coughed up a bit of blood, but the demonic lady did not step back or even stand upright to avoid it. "Just you w-wait…y-you'll pay d-dearly for refusing t-to come quietly…"

"I already would've, and so would the residents of this world, including my friends," Lil responded, aware there were certainly going to be repercussions of this encounter just as there already were for even coming to this world. It might've been implied that events were set in motion against the Gray Garden even way before she showed up here.

Anten couldn't help but smirk, attempting to think of a way to try drawing suspicion onto her as a means of turning this world against her. "A-always a f-filthy woman of the l-lower classes…r-rebelling against civilization and…" He choked up some blood again. Anten was going to survive these wounds and he knew it too just as they did since they made sure to not kill him, though he'd make sure he had the last laugh at Lil's expense. "S-sowing disunity among it…"

"This lower class woman and her best angelic friend kicked your ass by beating the shit out of you!" Lil retorted.

"M-maybe so this time…" the assassin chuckled in spite of his wounds. "B-but not next time when…you're all a-alone…" And with that said, Anten slowly disappeared into the shadows of the crater his frail, limp form was laying in. Wiping the blood he got on her off with her sleeve, the demonic lady stood up and simply brushed her hands to dust them off. She and Macarona won the fight against him, and now they could at least savor their victory by celebrating.

"Well, that's that for now," she commented, stretching her arms in the air and resting them behind her head while she spoke to the young angel. "I'd say we'd better get back to the festival to celebrate a victory well earned, right Macarona?" Taking the angel's hand in her own, the pair strolled through the trees towards the shrine where they'd both return along the path they took to get there retracing their steps until they reached it. "Such an accomplishment clearly deserves a reward for our efforts in dispatching that jackass. A sweet dinner with a nice, juicy pastry dessert will suffice."

Although Macarona couldn't help but agree with her on that, she felt now was the time for her to be asking questions. She had hoped to let the matter of whatever may have really been going on in the Devil's Kingdom slide because talking about it might've been upsetting to Lil, but after what just happened and what she and Anten spoke of once he'd been defeated by them, the young angel was feeling otherwise. "Hey, Lil, who was that guy we fought?" she asked, believing an inquiry about him was an appropriate place to start when probing the demonic lady for information.

"Oh, him?" Lil uttered and proceeded to answer her friend's question, aware that Macarona wanted to talk about the Devil's Kingdom and the secretive designs her husband was involved with. "That was Anten, one of three guards my dipshit husband assigned to guard me. On the surface they come across as regular bodyguards, though they're actually assassins he assigned to ensure I don't give away too much information and go against my dipshit husband. Guy's a real professional bitch, eh?" she chuckled, thinking about that wording Anten used before. "There's two others, one of whom retired and manages a bar; his name's Maekami, and he's proficient with knives. The other's Daimonji, a technological genius and professional hacker whose skills are good, yet he's also a well-trained sniper. Maekami isn't an assassin anymore even if he uses his skills on anybody breaking the rules of his bar, though Anten and Daimonji are still on the team. The only guy I'm not sure of is Maekami's replacement, the strange goat demon with the little girl at the square; he's likely the group's new guy." An assortment of objects shot up into the sky once she finished her explanation, exploding into vibrant colors. "Aw, the fireworks just began," the demonic lady murmured, somewhat disappointed the people who set them up already started lighting the fireworks up. "I guess the festival's over already, but hey, the fireworks are pretty."

"Sure looks like it," Macarona agreed and turned to Lil. She too was disappointed in having missed the end procession, though she couldn't let that sidetrack her from this discussion with Lil. "Lil, I think we should talk."

…

 **Well that was something of an exciting boss battle against Anten, huh? Don't worry, he's still alive since he's got more to contribute to this story. This is where Satanick and his demons of the Devil's Kingdom really come into play—at least they're beginning to now that the reconnaissance of his subordinates' mission begins to gradually transition towards some more action. It'll be a gradual process, though look forward to more soon.**

 **A cutlass is a kind of slashing sword used by navy officers. Pikes are spears wielded by medieval infantry soldiers in Europe around the early Middle Ages up until the eighteenth century. The talwar is similar to the cutlass, though it comes from the Indian Subcontinent of Asia. You can learn more about these on Wikipedia.**


	12. Chapter Twelve: Lil's Past

Pacing back and forth from the dresser with a television set on top to the circular table in the center of the room he and Anten shared at the hotel, the professional veteran scowled disapprovingly regarding conduct his associate exhibited recently. Earlier that night after losing the plainclothesman Anten suggested he should've followed, Daimonji returned back to the square where Envi and Crea were located and continued to observe their movements and the crowd that surrounded them. Lil would've certainly done her best blending in even if she was aware of them being in this world, though neither he nor Envi spotted her at all. Not once had they found her there, a location they considered as a possible venue for her because of the lady's desire to be among the populace and enjoy fun activities. Now Anten was gone too, missing in action and he wasn't responding via the wireless radios. The remaining assassins worried he might've been caught and was currently being interrogated which could've led to them being discovered if he gave them and their mission away. Daimonji gave Anten specific orders to remain by Envi and Crea, but he might not have followed them.

"Where could he have gone?" he asked himself rhetorically, wondering what became of their comrade. He knew Envi wouldn't have known because the goat demon had been concentrating on posing as a tourist with Crea. Daimonji made sure to keep his voice low since the little creation was sleeping soundly in the adjacent room connected with theirs and could be visited through a door that separated both with the wall. It was locked to ensure she did not suddenly come in and see them—particularly her caregiver—discussing the fate of their fellow assassin and how it could've affected their mission. "I told him to stay by you while I was checking out the plainclothesman, though he might not have been too reliable in that regard in hindsight. I should've known he'd likely get impatient and screw up unless he was arrested if it wasn't his fault. Still, he could've found an opportunity to communicate with us via the wireless radio."

"Maybe the authorities found that too if they caught him," Envi theorized, seated on the end of his superior's bed with both arms crossed, watching Daimonji pace. "It's not exactly an easy mission, especially for you guys. I sensed several nightblades watching Crea and I, one of whom came up to us. I had to lie to him, but I don't think he bought it."

"This is a particularly troubling assignment unlike the rest we've received prior to your enlistment in our group," Daimonji replied, stopping and turning his head to face the recruit while standing in front of the dresser. "Our work hasn't encountered any obstacles and went without hitches in the Devil's Kingdom. I too expected it wouldn't have been easy in another world; hence our precautious approaches much like how we usually approach any assassination in our hell. I knew our tactics may not have been applicable to this situation, though at the very least it's a learning experience; albeit one we've got to struggle to perfect so that we can avoid unwanted attention and suspicion. It is definitely difficult."

"Especially when one of us attempts to act on his own if that problem has indeed occurred as suspected and theorized," the novice assassin commented. "Not to discredit you and Anten, but with all due respect he should not have received any leeway that would've allowed him an opportunity to go against orders if the opportunity presented itself."

"Duly noted, Envi, for I shall not be making the same mistake twice. When Anten returns—if he returns—I shall see to it that he returns straight to the Devil's Kingdom at once to report in on the situation and our progress."

"C-come on…" a weak voice they both correctly presumed was Anten's spoke up from the shadows as the other veteran emerged from them. Stepping out of the corner to reveal his weakened body with the bruises on it along with a hole through his right leg, Anten staggered over to his bed and threw his frail form onto it for some needed rest.

"So you did encounter resistance and get into a skirmish…" Daimonji said, stepping over to check the wounds.

"Y-yeah, I-I sure did…" Anten coughed, having already recovered a bit of his health so he wasn't coughing blood anymore. "H-hey, at least I-I managed to find our target…" He coughed as his associate seized him by the collar and lifted his body up to make eye contact. Pain jolted through the assassin's body since the movement harmed him.

"You went against orders and pursued the target without alerting us to her presence," Daimonji criticized him, admonishing the other assassin for not having followed orders. "Getting into a scuffle with her or the guards in this village was strictly an obstacle we were to avoid. You got cocky and were caught in the act, blowing our cover to them."

"I-I did what I had to!" Anten retorted coldly and forcibly freed himself from the other's grip.

"Keep your voice down," Envi instructed him, "Crea's sleeping in the next room." His request made Anten growl, though the veteran simply acknowledged it and thought about shutting up for good as he fell back on the bed.

"At the very least inform us of what occurred," the other veteran demanded, seeking an explanation.

"I-I just said I found our target," Anten reported, accepting a cymophane from Envi which contained strong healing energies within it. He didn't know where the novice came by such a gem, but figured he shouldn't have looked a gift horse in the mouth and clenched his fist around the gem to heal his wounds, all of which recovered instantly. If he didn't know better, the goat demon probably got it from somebody at Castle Flankenstein. "Thanks for the gem, rookie. Mind sharing where you got this thing in the first place now that you've done something useful for once?" he asked.

"From the Right Hand who sent some over…" was all Envi said to answer his question. "Now continue."

"Fine, whatever," Anten went on now that he was fully healed. "I saw Lil and decided to tail her, following the lady over to some remote spot in the forest where she kicked my ass. We weren't followed by the damn guards since we must've gotten away from them without their noticing us. Unfortunately, there was some kind of angelic schoolgirl with her whom I assumed was incredibly weak. Turns out she wasn't, and was actually really strong as I then found out."

"Hence the beating which I'm sure Lil also dealt as well," Daimonji theorized, knowing Lil wouldn't have resisted the chance to beat the shit out of her old bodyguard assassins who were more like prison guards. "You recall Miss Lil alone was able of taking all three of us—back when Maekami was with us—on at once and winning unscathed."

"She sure was," the other assassin admitted. "I thought I could take her for once since I expected her to have held back because the angel was with her. She didn't, claiming the angel was a best friend of hers before I withdrew."

"Describe the angel for us, Daimonji instructed him, requesting a description of what the angel looked like.

"She was a brunette dressed in some kind of green and red sailor uniform with crosses all over it," Anten said.

"An angel in red and green attire with crosses decorating it…" Envi murmured, a bent finger to his chin while he contemplated on the familiarity of Anten's description of her. "One who's strong like Miss Lil and well-known here…"

"Wait, you know her?" Anten inquired suspiciously, wondering why the novice said nothing of her before.

"Only from a book she wrote which Crea wanted to buy," the goat demon explained. "Her name's Macarona, and she's apparently one of the four heroines who stood up against Ivlis and solved some kind of conspiracy too."

"And this Macarona was with Lil…" Daimonji began to speculate on the angel's involvement. "If Miss Lil claims this particular angel is a friend of hers and she's not staying at either the castle or the hotel, she must be residing with her. If that's the case, we should locate the abode and add Macarona to our investigation. She'll know about us too from Anten's encounter with her and Miss Lil, so caution is of the utmost importance considering her strength. Whether they are aware of who Envi and Crea are or not is yet to be determined, though I suggest avoiding them for now is best."

"But therein lies the problem," Envi remarked to put forth a counterpoint. "Macarona's going to be signing copies of this book at an arts and crafts museum tomorrow. Crea wants to go get her copy autographed by her and meet the angel too. We'll not say who we are or what we're doing, though it can help us better understand her despite the risk."

"True…" Daimonji concurred, thinking it might've been worth taking that risk so long as they were careful and the guards didn't come after them if they somehow learned of their objective either from observations or Macarona and Lil. It only took him moments to weigh the pros and cons, though he eventually reached a decision. "Very well, you may proceed with this inquiry, Envi, but do be sure to continue painting yourselves as tourists," he instructed the novice, receiving a nod of affirmation from the goat demon before turning back to Anten. "As for you, Anten, you've already risked blowing our cover by way of revealing yourself to our target and her associate. To avoid attention and suspicion, I am ordering you to return to the Devil's Kingdom at once. Report to Mr. Satanick of these developments, pronto."

"Come on, at least give me another chance," Anten protested, receiving another gem, a red onyx this time, from Envi. He could feel energy from their underworld in it, and he realized this stone would've allowed him to teleport back and forth from there to the Gray Garden. A note was attached, addressed to Envi and signed by Kumori explaining these were warped into his pocket to test how they worked for trips both ways. "I'll not make the same mistake again."

"Absolutely not, that was my statement regarding my instruction to you to watch Envi and Crea," Daimonji said.

The other veteran assassin sighed in frustration, hating how he had to be sent back. "Fine, I'll get going."

…

As the festival already ended before the two of them arrived back at Macarona's house, there wasn't much left that could've been done for the night. Vendors there were already in the midst of packing their things up, storing away whatever wasn't sold and produced for the fun event. It had been a long while of several hours for them, and villagers and tourists alike were tired. While the former returned to their abodes for some much needed rest after enjoying themselves, the latter went back to the hotel for the same purpose. Tomorrow was Sunday, and many of the inhabitants would've been enjoying the fine weather. Those who lived here were going to do whatever they wanted by hanging out with friends and family members while tourists would've done the same by going around Gray Village. Others who had come simply for the festival had to head home to other towns and worlds they came from, preparing themselves for however long the respective journeys were. All of Macarona's friends were among the former, choosing to enjoy what came tomorrow.

However, Macarona herself, though wanting to spend Sunday with them and Lil after signing copies of her book, felt that might have been wishful thinking. She and Lil had only just defeated Anten, one of three assassins from the Devil's Kingdom who were most likely sent in the employ of Satanick, the Gentleman Devil. He was presumably responsible for their presence as the young angel guessed, believing he had already discovered his wife was staying in this world. That wouldn't have been an issue if he wanted to negotiate with her by allowing her to have some power in their underworld. Unfortunately, as the encounter with Anten proved, this too was wishful thinking because of the hostility and desire to keep things secret in that hell. That was Macarona's guess, and she couldn't help but continue thinking there was more to this marital dispute between Lil and Satanick than the lady was letting on. It was only a theory—a theory proven by both Lil's dialogue of her relationship with Satanick and how he governed their hell, and the fight against Anten earlier.

Once home, the pair prepared dinner for themselves—a pot of chicken broth with some salad and garlic knots on the side they split into two servings for each other. Seated at the dining room table together across from one another, the young angel felt it was time to begin making inquiries into what was really going on with Lil and this marital dispute. "Lil?" she asked politely, wanting to tread carefully so as not to upset her demonic friend. "What was all that about with Mr. Anten before? Why were you both referring to more intricate matters in your hell? Are there secrets you both know?"

"Oh, that?" the lady responded with a smile, happy to indulge her friend's curiosity on the matter in question. She was extremely grateful for being allowed to stay in this world, especially with her best angelic friend in it whose house she was residing in. "Just the intrigues of private affairs concerning international relations. I may have come to your world for a place to stay, Macarona, and that is quite true which I can assure you of. Government officials, typically those at the top, tend to disagree as far as where I go is concerned. They are mistrustful of this world, several believing it to be an affront against the Devil's Kingdom because of Etihw's union with Kcalb and also Fumus' friendly commercial relations with it. Many view my presence in the Gray Garden as treason, thinking I'm giving away secrets to ensure the hell is invaded."

"Except we don't want to instigate conflict with any underworlds, or heavens for that matter," Macarona said.

"Indeed, but they're still suspicious all the same. My dipshit husband could likely use that as a reason to start a war with this world and brand me a traitor for all he cares; he's certainly within power to accomplish that objective."

"But why?" the angel asked, seeking more answers to the mystery of whatever secrets he wanted kept. "What sort of hidden secrets would your husband want to remain out of the public view? You said before others might not believe you if you were to inform anyone in other underworlds about what was happening because it was your word alone without any evidence. Surely Mr. Satanick wouldn't be too worried about that due to the lack of evidence."

"He wouldn't publicly, though secretly he'll probably be plotting something, alright. If retrieving me fails, I know for certain he'd risk anything to ensure all the little tidbits that can prove useful to other Devils and the Queen which I'm perfectly aware of can be swept under the rug. Believe me, calling me out as a traitor seeking to spread lies is a tactic my dipshit husband's in a good position to utilize. However, there's a problem with this notion even he's aware of. You see, Macarona, branding me as a lying traitor could draw attention and incite investigations into whether what I know is true."

"Meaning he'll need to come up with another reason or hide whatever evidence that can prove your case."

"Precisely, hence the need for another motive, one he doesn't have at this time because he'd have sent the military in by now to begin a war. Barbaric ideas of simply attacking without needing proper justification aren't his forte because he is the Gentleman Devil. My dipshit husband's got to think of something that will be proper justification."

"So, we're in the clear for now," Macarona breathed a sigh of relief, taking a bite out of a garlic knot. "Though again, what sort of secrets and policies does he not want Her Majesty and other Devils to find out by hiding them?"

"Simple, an assortment of details and relations with a certain 'someone' that'll be enough to sack him from his office as the Devil. Allow me to demonstrate:" Lil began to explain, putting her soupspoon down in the broth to hold up both hands. Outstretching her fingers so that each were separate, she proceeded to elaborate on what she knew. "We each have two hands, the minimal number of hands many individuals—angels, humans, demons, and other beings similar to them—have. We each also possess a total of ten fingers, five per hand making two pairs of five fingers on one pair of hands. Know where I'm going with this based on what I'm implying so far, Macarona?" she then asked to check if her angelic friend understood the concept. Receiving a nod from Macarona, the demonic lady continued her point with emphasis on her hands. "Now, the right hand is dexterous while the left hand is sinistrous; both are ambidextrous."

"Meaning Mr. Satanick's got two 'hands', so to speak," Macarona asserted, believing the Gentleman Devil had two associates who matched the metaphor. Knowing people who were second in an organization of some kind when referring to their position at the top meant they were occasionally referred to as being right hand individuals, the angel believed Satanick had one such demon and another demon to serve as the left hand demon. "That's correct, right?"

"Close, my dipshit husband's not the one with two hands," Lil remarked and grinned widely, mischievously planning to reveal the one individual who actually had two 'hands'. "It's Warwick; he's the one with two hands and my dipshit husband's the Left Hand. He's been a firm supporter and assistant of the Business Devil for many centuries in my underworld and his. And get this, Macarona: the Right Hand is on the Heavenly Council, one of the heavenly deities."

"And you know everything your husband's planned with Warwick and the identity of the Right Hand?"

"Not the Right Hand's identity, no, but I've been all too familiar with my dipshit husband's involvement for years." Taking a sip of her water, Lil cleared her throat. "It all started when I was still very young, as a matter of fact."

"You and Mr. Anten both alluded to you as having originally been in a lower class in your society," Macarona recalled that bit of what she heard from them. "Were you a girl who climbed the social rungs to become the lady you are now?" she then asked, wondering what Lil's past was like when the demon was growing up in the Devil's Kingdom.

"Climbing the social rungs isn't how I'd describe it, but I must warn you my upbringing wasn't pretty," the lady responded, letting her friend know life wasn't always as good as she had. Well, it was okay for now, but not fully good.

"Then how did you become the Gentleman Devil's wife? It doesn't sound like something in a fairy tale."

"Depends on how you view the matter, though many might say it was like usual stories of poor girls being whisked away to better lives in superb palaces and castles where their lives improved dramatically as they married the aristocrats. My life's story is just that, except for the part about how dramatic the changes were, however." Lil sighed, not minding sharing her tale with Macarona. However, as she said it wasn't exactly something like the norm she described. "I grew up in the slums of a neighborhood owned and ruled by a powerful family of an ethnic minority. This family was very influential in the government, and they shared the power they received for their support with those who served them in the municipal government of the region they controlled. There weren't any guards or police stations in this god's forsaken space because the family relied on gangs, street thugs, and common bandits to keep the folk suppressed. A lot of demons were of the same ethnic minority as this family, though the family never bothered to share it with them since they were greedy. Greed, as I'm sure I've relayed before when speaking about wealth and gender in my underworld, was but a fundamental norm produced from restraints on who had wealth. Men were greedy for power and wealth in society, and so were women mainly because they were not given any luxuries at all whereas the men received plenty they refused to share. This norm instilled conflict that sometimes occurred between the genders and those who weren't as wealthy as others who had more than them. Many like this family I'm speaking of were very much shaped and formed by greed."

"And nobody did anything to try and stop them?" Macarona asked, worried for all the demons who suffered under the yolk of that family and others who abused their power and wealth. "Nobody sought to help anyone else?"

"Nah, my underworld's basically become an 'every demon for himself and herself' place," Lil responded while they continued eating. "All those thuggish characters the family hired for example distributed money in small increments to those they were each connected to, keeping larger sums for themselves which led to lots of infighting and conflict amongst them. Even the family itself was fractured, various splinter factions of it in strife against each other all the time. This was due to the fact that the government under my dipshit husband sent funds infrequently and gave them some permission to do whatever they wanted with it; ergo, they cause chaos as a result of their greed. It certainly keeps demons from rallying against him because he provides the moolah, thus ensuring their loyalty to him and their focus on others around them seeking to steal what they have. These were my dipshit husband's primary motives for giving money."

"Leaving nobody to deal with anything Mr. Satanick does that might cause some minor tensions," Macarona concluded based on what her friend explained so far. "As petty issues, the small problems mean nothing compared to larger complications that would warrant more attention. But the demons would simply keep fighting each other, no?"

"They believe it'll solve all those small complications, yeah," the demonic lady confirmed. "With money they just pay it back for better privileges and conditions that'll improve their lifestyles at the expense of others. They do not realize that by doing so they're just throwing the cash away, returning it to where the money originally came from: my dipshit husband and the government under his control. It's how the regions become economically poorer with demons in lower classes being hit the hardest by this economic conflict, save for the few that actually do come into power and wealth as both aspects give them a chance to leave their rundown lifestyles behind in favor of bettering their lives as aristocrats. There's hardly any control over what they can do because nobody cares about what becomes of the people who still suffer due to greed; the only control around is in the government that regulates how the wealth is controlled under my dipshit husband. Nothing's ever done without his say-so, and getting him to approve something that'll actually do something good is a lost cause because he's simply buttering the people up with moolah and letting them fight amongst themselves."

"As bribes that circulate throughout the Devil's Kingdom from one place to the next—from start to finish—all while publically announcing or letting others know who has the wealth so they can fight over who has it. This concept means that whoever has the wealth is within right to have connections to the government, right?" the young angel asked.

"Precisely, Macarona, it's exactly how this works. They're paid and fight for keeps while they serve for benefits; all in the name of my dipshit husband whom they depend on for wealth and power they can clearly abuse anytime."

"These were the conditions under which you grew up in, right? Did your family ever accumulate wealth?"

"In a sense, though not entirely. I was an only child to a vampiric mother and a bat demon father."

"What kind of work did they do?" Macarona inquired, curious about what Lil's parents did for a living.

"They were petty drug dealers who sold some drugs for exorbitant prices that were so high it contributed to some serious inflation. Like I said, greed affected everyone and my parents were no exceptions to the norm that dominated their lives and acted like a pipe dream they strived for nonetheless. People usually love their parents, but I hated mine; they just used me as their errand girl, making me distribute the stuff to customers willing to pay. Sometimes patrons even beat the shit out of me to steal what they could get, and others would get involved by beating me and them for the drugs. I've even had one of those electric slave collars around my neck, the kind you'd find in the slave trade that's part of Warwick's black market; how my parents ever got one was beyond me, though looking back they either bought or stole that damn thing." To demonstrate what the item was used for, Lil raised an arm and pointed at her neck, pressing against her skin while moving the finger in a circular line across her neck as she recalled the terrible memories of her depressing childhood. "They shocked slaves who were disloyal to slave owners and tried to escape; happened to me on a number of occasions."

"My god…" the angel murmured in shock, horrified Lil lived under such cruel conditions and tyranny. The demonic lady survived it all, though her life back then must've left some serious scars that never healed over time.

"It was that awful for me and everyone else suffering under the conditions inherent within my underworld. Hell, even my parents were victims of that, greedy as they were; hence why they tried to get more money. They had little because of how high their prices were on the drugs they produced and sold, plus the cash was also stolen numerous times. My father controlled the money and refused to share it with my mother, though she always found it and spent every last gold coin that wasn't stolen by thieves until we were broke and in debt to loan sharks and powerful, corrupt demons who imposed severely harsh taxes on people like us. Time and time again we were penniless and starving, but my parents didn't care since they were thieves too who stole cash and food for their survival. I got very little of the latter and none of the former growing up, contributing to my increasing hatred for both my parents who saw me as nothing more than some plain old errand girl employed as their only dealer. Whatever cash I had on me that wasn't stolen by other demons at times when I got off scot free of beatings from them was taken by my parents so they could waste everything on lotteries they never won, scraps of food morsels, and ingredients for the drugs they grew. Once out of curiosity I tried one piece of a drug they sold and came to despise the taste instantly; both that and the beating I received from my parents that day instilled a powerful aversive stimuli in me via operant conditioning that led to the permanent extinction of me using drugs and drinking alcohol. Since then I've never touched any drugs or alcoholic beverages primarily because of the taste, but also because of the beating which served as the negative punishment. Despite, I was still a sickly kid growing up because my parents also smoked and the second-hand smoke I always inhaled involuntarily was the cause of lung cancer."

"But how did you get away from all of that?" Macarona inquired, worried that Lil's suffering was unbearable. Her fear for her friend's safety was appreciated by Lil because of how legitimate it was, though the demon survived it.

"My departure from that lifestyle was very slow at first because only a few steps began at separate increments of time in my childhood. Prior to becoming a teenager, my father once got too drunk and attempted to challenge one of the gangs that family employed; he was gunned down in an instant and nobody—not even my mother and I—cared because everyone was in it for themselves. After that my mother forced me to work as a waitress in a new fight club that organized under the neighborhood streets in the sewers. The members all gathered in a massive cistern where the fight club was run, and it was here I discovered a solution enabling me to break the damn slave collar. I was successful, and could've escaped had it not been for a large regiment of the army being placed in the neighborhood for whatever reason I didn't understand until later. As I was still staying with my mother because the soldiers implemented a strict curfew on the residents, she dominated my life much of the time I was home and tried to seize whatever income I earned working as a waitress. Luckily I was old enough to adequately fight back whenever we argued, but I couldn't defend myself when it came to blows from her and troops who purchased drugs from her; they got the drugs and she received certain privileges from them in return. They were always in the house, and I think she even slept with some too sometimes if I'm correct."

"So how were you able to escape from her grasp over you and become the Gentleman Devil's wife?" came another inquiry from Macarona as she wondered if that led to Lil marrying Satanick by way of connection with the army.

"That came later while my earnings at the fight club were increasing drastically. One of the combatants was insulting me at first, a big demon working his way up the ranks of their tournament. I got into a fight with him over it to stop the verbal abuse and did my very best to beat the shit out of him. I literally had to fight to survive, Macarona; I needed to fight as if I was actually going to kill him which I eventually did," Lil explained further, admitting to a murder she committed in front of many witnesses who could've reported her to the corrupt authorities to possibly allow the fight club to stay in business. "Although I expected to get arrested by the soldiers who also attended and sometimes participated too, my endeavor was suddenly recognized and I instantly became known as a girl who kicked a guy's ass. They allowed me to become a contestant and I worked my way up the ranks, kicking ass and taking names." The demonic lady laughed joyfully, enjoying her reminiscing over some of her fondest memories, particularly those that got her respect and made her known to others whom she became somewhat famous to. "Those were good times, good fights; my mother still tried to take my money, but now I could fight back against her and the soldiers refused to get involved in our conflicts since word spread of my new rise to fame and fortune as I'd become a force to be reckoned with even to the military troops."

"And that's how you left your old neighborhood for a better life," Macarona concluded, figuring Lil made enough gold to move out with some good connections and no opposition from the demonic soldiers in the military.

"I would've after I beat the champion and gained fame for it; I had already become the finalist who would've faced off against him. It was the grandest spectacle you could've seen, Macarona. Everybody was there, all of the higher-ups in town were watching me combat him. Eventually I, who had gone from being a child to a waitress and then a contestant in the fight club, succeeded—I killed the reigning champion, Macarona, and would've gone away with all the riches and fame I could've mustered then. However, there was an odd twist to the outcome I would never forget since it was the moment in my life when I went from being Lil, the poor fighter, to becoming Lil, wife to the Gentleman Devil. The Gentleman Devil, my dipshit husband before he even became my dipshit husband, was there, applauding me on a victory well-earned as he approached the center stage with none other than Warwick himself too at his side. Believe me, I was ecstatic at first because I thought they were going to immediately congratulate me on my victory and let me become an upper class citizen—or at least a middle class one—but I was wrong. My dipshit husband did congratulate me on murdering the champion in fair combat, though claimed my victory was invalid and a disgrace because I was a girl; yet Warwick saw potential in me since he told him I could've been a product in his black market's slave trade in which I'd have been sold to somebody who required a bodyguard like me. Neither of them even acknowledged me for what I accomplished, seeing me as some worthless product, so I decided enough was enough and let them have it then."

Macarona's eyes bulged out wide. "You fought Mr. Satanick and Warwick by yourself?!" she asked in awe.

"At first, but I was only able to land a couple blows on my dipshit husband while avoiding his," Lil clarified what happened. "I had yet to even hit Warwick as he merely stood there and watched me fight back, unimpressed by my disobedience. Yet I somehow made an impression on the Gentleman Devil during our fight, and though the crowd and his troops demanded he slay me then and there as punishment for attacking him, he didn't because he finally recognized the fire within me and proclaimed to them that I'd become his wife. His declaration shocked even me, for I couldn't comprehend how a fight against him won the Gentleman Devil over; though I still happily took the chance all the same once he paid Warwick a grand sum from his checkbook to make up for the Business Devil not getting me. I didn't care how it happened, I was finally away from that old life for good. Warwick also found my mother's petty stash of drugs, though ordered one of his men to kill her immediately without bothering to even negotiate so he could take them and sell the drugs on his black market. The Gentleman Devil took me to a healer up in the Corporate Heaven where by way of a favor Fumus owed him, he had one of the best physicians the Smoking God's company employed cure me of my wounds and my lung cancer. That's how I am the way I am now, for I've risen from the slums to become one of the most famous women in the Devil's Kingdom; I still had no power because of the restriction against women having power and wealth, though I could now wear fancy dresses and enjoy marvelous eats only aristocrats could dine on. All in all, my life's still not perfect, but at least it became a bit better so I won't have to worry anymore about how I'll survive the hell."

"Really? Considering the circumstances of your life up until you married him, I'd say it has," Macarona agreed, glad Lil managed to find some positive benefits in her life. "But still, even though it's far from perfect, although you're receiving a bit better treatment than when you were poor, I must also say not much has really changed from before."

"Yeah, fancy duds and good eats are the least of the improvements with the addition of that healing and also the tutoring I received from all kinds of scholars and Chlomaki. Aside from these alterations in the upper class which weren't present anywhere in the lower classes, my role hasn't significantly gotten better than when I was growing up," Lil added since she acknowledged how unbalanced both parts of her life were. "In my youth I had virtually nothing, now I've got some things; however, I am still very much a prisoner as I was in childhood and my teenage years. Being the wife to the Gentleman Devil is a comfortable prison, mind you, but a prison all the same nonetheless. I'm grateful to count what blessings I've got now, but it's not enough—I'm always feeling there's more I can do in my underworld and more I can do to help it improve too even though accomplishing that much can be difficult since I'm just a demon and not the Devil."

"Well, what would you do to reform the Devil's Kingdom, Lil? How would you accomplish that as a Devil?"

"Simple; as the Devil I'd instill gender equality and better benefits for both the lower and middle classes in civilization," the lady explained, going over a brief series of reforms she'd implement to restore her underworld so it wouldn't be the corrupt civilization it was always known as. "Everything can't happen right away since it'll all have to be slow at first, but my initial steps would be to create jobs for women and a payroll for them which shall steadily increase over time until it's exactly equivalent to what men receive as their salaries depending on the career. Women shall partake in the same workforces as men and can even have a shot at becoming top business owners like Killie is—I'll work with her and her family to help accomplish this, and I'll even look to Her Majesty for aid as well since she resides in our hell too. Furthermore, women would also become property owners like men. As for the lower classes, I'll improve housing developments and businesses for them to give the poor a chance to become part of the middle class. Granted, there'll always be a divide between the upper class aristocrats and the middle class even when the lower class is allowed into the latter and sometimes the former, but at least I'll ensure aristocrats will be more helpful and benevolent to them. Every society's only as good as its inhabitants; should they ever become unruly under cruel tyrants, they'll revolt and rebel to the point when a revolution may seem possible if all is successful with hope that it isn't crushed by politicians and soldiers."

"And then seek to improve their society for the better if they're seeking better lives," Macarona concurred.

"Only if those who instigated the revolts, rebellions, and revolutions aren't malicious and aren't working for their own agendas," Lil added to clarify that element. "Anyway, once I eliminate the restrictions on gender and wealth, the Devil's Kingdom can finally become an enhanced place. It might not be entirely perfect, but it'll at least be better than it currently is and always was." The demonic lady smiled and sighed happily, hoping that a better Devil's Kingdom could become a reality someday. "I know it's something of a pipe dream, though I really do want to see it happen. I don't even have to be the one who installs these changes so long as they actually happen someday to make my dream a reality."

Smiling warmly at her friend, Macarona raised her glass of water to toast the idea. "Then here's to that dream successfully coming true to accomplish those reforms," she remarked while her demonic friend repeated the gesture.

"Amen!" Lil laughed, thankful for having such a good friend like Macarona, a friend who'd stay by her side and support her as such. "But first we'd need to reveal my dipshit husband's machinations on Warwick's behalf. Ever since the Queen outlawed his black market and forbid the Business Devil from importing the black market into other hells, my dipshit husband's been secretly heading a chapter of it in the Devil's Kingdom that shall rejoin Warwick's main branch if every restriction on it is lifted or abolished in some way. Very few people know about it and buy things from his chapter, though only my dipshit husband, his Thumb, and his Index Finger are heavily involved in as leaders of the chapter."

"And who would his Fingers happen to be?"

"Yagi's the Thumb since he's my dipshit husband's second-in-command, and Doctor Victor Flankenstein, a late scientist who served him and performed all kinds of secretive experiments not even I know of, was the Index Finger. Unfortunately, he somehow died under mysterious circumstances—probably due to a failed project of his—and his Chief of Staff, Kumori, took over his work; she's the Index Finger now. Daimonji, Maekami, and Anten—the third of whom you met before when he followed and attacked us—are the Middle Finger, Ring Finger, and Pinky Finger respectively. As the Left Hand to Warwick, my dipshit husband is one of his two closest and most powerful subordinates in the black market; his Five Fingers are also heavily involved as well, The same goes for the unknown Right Hand and the Fingers of whoever that is, though I can certainly confirm the Right Hand is actually a deity on the Heavenly Council as I said. I don't know which deity to be specific since only my dipshit husband and his Fingers know, and they've never revealed the other identities at all, plus there's absolutely no evidence of their identities either. It's a tight-knit secret between the six of them, and nobody else is supposed to know about the identities of this Right Hand deity and the Right Hand's Fingers; that's why it's so secretive, but I made sure to at least find that much out so I can use this against my dipshit husband."

"Though you've only got your word on that," the young angel pointed out as Lil acknowledged it by nodding. "I believe you, Lil, but we'd need evidence of this conspiracy in order to prove and shed light on it. Besides, what will happen to Mr. Satanick if this information is determined to be correct and precisely accurate? Will he be imprisoned?"

"Who knows, but I can tell it'll be enough to sack him from his office as the Gentleman Devil. Whether he's to be jailed or not is left up to the Queen since the final decision's hers to make," Lil replied as they were finishing up their dinner. "Hell, I'd probably go so far as to say there are agents of Warwick's or my dipshit husband's in her court, remaining incognito amongst staff and diplomats from other underworlds. They might get word of the sentence and forge a different punishment as opposed to what she'll declare in writing—unless she announces it publicly in court."

"Then we'd better hope it's a public declaration," Macarona uttered while they began cleaning up.

"It should, otherwise there'd be leeway for him to try getting his power back however he can by any means," the demonic lady agreed. "When Her Highness becomes aware of this conspiracy, I'll request a public declaration of the charges. Until then, this matter must be kept secret between us, Macarona, for we need evidence to prove it's true."

"Indeed, my lips are sealed, Lil. Now, what about the assassins your husband sent to retrieve you?"

"We'll conduct our own investigation to determine what they came for besides collecting me if there are any other objectives they've been ordered to fulfill. That'll be one of our main goals, the other being to find out who the goat demon and that little girl are, and how the two of them are involved. The girl couldn't be an assassin and I very much doubt that guy is too even though he could be a novice. Once we fulfill these objectives we'll alert the authorities to their mission and inform them of who they are; I suspect they somehow already met the two we don't know, but at least I do know both Anten and Daimonji are here despite not seeing the latter. Still, Daimonji's usually in the company of Anten on missions like these and I know them personally back when they used to ensure I wouldn't be too much trouble. I very much doubt Maekami's around since he retired, so we'll just focus on the others and their objectives for now, okay?"

Macarona nodded. "Yes, I'll help you to the best of my abilities."

…

 **That pretty much wraps up this chapter. My apologies for content incorporating: what lower class neighborhoods and some if not all individuals who live in them may be like, child abuse, drugs, and allusions to slavery. This was to help generate the character of the Devil's Kingdom in accordance to how I described it in other chapters before. Another reason was to portray what Lil's life was like while she was growing up from a non-canon perspective that takes a sort of Cinderella approach. I thought it would be good for the story as it shows what Lil has been through in life and how it affected her, how she views the Devil's Kingdom, and how she wants it to change for the better. As I said, it's a non-canon approach and Mogeko may have something different in mind when further developing her and her underworld with canon details. Feel free to provide feedback.**

 **Operant Conditioning is a principle in psychology claiming that specific environmental stimuli could be manipulated to alter behaviors. This is accomplished with factors such as reinforcers and consequences that can either strengthen or decrease behaviors to respectively make them keep occurring or disappear. One prominent person who studied it was Edward L. Thorndike (1874-1949), who studied how cats behaved when attempting to escape from boxes, thus leading to him constructing the law of effect stating that behaviors following good results are repeated while unfavorable consequences brought about by other behaviors aren't. Another was B. F. Skinner (1904-1990), the Father of Operant Conditioning opposing Thorndike's perspective on unobservable qualities in favor of those that could be observed; he demonstrated this by putting subjects into boxes where he could see repeatable responses which were the main behavioral measure he was looking for. Some standard terms of Operant Conditioning include: Positive and Negative Reinforcement which respectively reward good behaviors and remove aversive stimuli and responses; and Positive and Negative Punishment that both decrease behaviors based on respectively adding an unpleasant stimulus and removing a positive stimulus. Another is Extinction, the end or disappearance of a behavior not being reinforced anymore because it's not effective.**

 **A cymophane is a type of chrysoberyl gem that's also referred to as a cat's eye while Onyx is actually a compiled variety of chalcedony which is an oxide mineral. Oxide minerals form from oxide anions that were bonded to one or more types of metals to produce the oxide minerals. You can find a lot of these on Wikipedia.**

 **As for Satanick being considered Warwick's Left Hand while the Right Hand is a deity, I was actually drawing on terminology in Western esotericism to describe this aspect. A Left-Hand Path is generally thought of as being associated with black magic while a Right-Hand Path is considered to be associated with white magic.**

 **Regarding Cinderella, it's a popular European folk tale about somebody who was unrecognized at first becoming well-known and famous during certain events. Any unfortunate events individuals experienced were sometimes considered unfair, but overcoming these difficulties can lead to much better rewards and success. It has become quite well-known throughout years, decades, and centuries for such morals and aspects like these.**

 **You can learn more about all of this stuff on Wikipedia.**

 **Edit: One thing I forgot to mention when I posted this chapter was that I do not advocate for drug usage and drinking. I don't use drugs or drink any alcoholic beverages because I think it's unhealthy. It's my choice, and I don't expect everyone will share the same decision. I'll not force anybody to make this kind of choice even though I disagree with using drugs and drinking alcoholic beverages, but do please consider how this decision's going to affect yourself and others around you. That's just a bit of advice I'd like to give regarding this matter, so please feel free to think about it if you'd like. In my opinion, I think this is a crucial matter to really think about which is why I suggest you do because of how important this is and any consequences of the decision would be.**


	13. Chapter Thirteen: Envi and Crea

A pen rested in the space between her left ear and the side of her head by locks of hair. Gazing around the space set up for today's venue, she smiled while walking up one aisle to examine how many chairs there were. Today was a big experience for her and she wanted to make sure everything was established for people attending today's venue. Macarona had been looking forward to today ever since she first made plans with Xerxes to prepare the venue where she'd sign copies of her book and answer any questions readers might've had. The young angel explained everything clearly in the nonfiction novel, though expected there'd be at least a few inquiries into matters some readers might've wanted additional clarification on. That was why she'd be answering any questions they had while directing readers to the staff of both Clarabella's Museum of Arts and Crafts and Blancblack Castle—particularly librarians in the castle since much of the information they might've sought was there, and Etihw herself was also a good primary source as well. Xerxes and the rest of the staff couldn't attend the venue because they were getting some projects done for the week, so he simply instructed Macarona to let attendees take cards with phone numbers on them so the readers could contact the museum. Flavio was unable to attend too, for he had to conduct business at the cemetery by digging graves for the deceased and performing autopsies on bodies to check if morticians over in Blancblack Castle missed something in their examinations.

Strolling up to the table at the front of the lobby while receptionists were finishing up with the configuration of a couple microphones, Macarona then checked the stereo equipment by lightly tapping both microphones after the system was powered on. The amplified sound of her tapping gently boomed across the lobby, a relatively light sound compared to anything louder that might've gone through. A couple chairs were set up on one side facing the audience who had yet to arrive. Checking her wristwatch, the angelic girl noted the time was nearing ten, the appointed time when they'd begin to show up for today's event. Walking over to boxes that contained copies of her book, Macarona pulled some out and began stocking the shelves of a rack set up to store them on it while leaving a couple aside for either end of the table. The cover of her manuscript was a stunning portrait of the museum from a front angle painted by a Nephilim artist who'd constructed the picture years ago and allowed Macarona to use it as the cover picture when he called her after hearing about her book. It was a nice portrait, and the title fit neatly above it; _Dynol Peiriant: Portrait of A Conspiracy_ was the title with her name on the bottom and along the book's spine showing she was the author who solved the conspiracy and wrote about it too. About a year had passed since she solved the case with Crona along with help from others involved, though it was mainly her and the older demon who worked towards bringing Dynol Peiriant into the public sphere.

"Looks like everything's all set up," Crona remarked as she sauntered forward. Attired in her military garb, the demon felt prepared to help her friend answer whatever questions needed to be answered. Although she now worked at The Auburn Tulip, Crona was still a valued member of the museum's faculty because of her previous duties as both a night guard and then the day guard. Since there wasn't a need for guards anymore with the animatronics and the Cyfuno Gwirodydd gone, the faculty didn't feel the need to hire somebody to fill the two positions. Despite the fact this decision ended two occupations, the benefit was that there was some more money for the museum to put into projects. Besides this was how minimal the effects were on their society's economy since other jobs with fair wages were available, plus people could've turned to adventuring, hunting, and exploring for their livelihoods. Other than that, things were still going well for everyone regardless of the absence of two minor positions here at the museum. "We must be expecting quite a turnout today if this many seats are available with some room for those who'd prefer to stand or sit on the floor." Her second statement wasn't sarcastic as there really were a lot of chairs and some space available for those who didn't want a seat.

"Yep, I believe a lot of people will show up today for the event," Macarona responded. "I heard at the bookstore copies of my book were really selling, so I'm guessing there's quite a lot of interest in the subject material I wrote of."

"There sure is, I've heard talk around the village for a while. People are impressed with the work you've done and put in when writing this manuscript. There'll definitely be many attendees at this event. By the way, speaking of attendees, where's your friend? The one from that foreign underworld—Lil was her name, right, Macarona? Is she here?"

"She will be, she's going to be coming by about now I suppose. She told me to go on ahead and make sure everything was prepared for the venue. Lil's going to swing by and stay for the event and asked me to have a front row seat prepared for her." Taking her pen and pulling a pad of paper out of her pocket, Macarona wrote the demonic lady's name on the top seat and carefully removed it from the pad before setting it down on a chair in the front row just by the center aisle. Taking a book from within one of the boxes, she then autographed it with her signature and left the copy upon the chair she selected for Lil. "She also requested I sign one in advance for her," Macarona added, placing the paper with Lil's name on top of the book so the lady would've seen which chair was hers. "That reminds me, do you want one?"

Crona nodded. "Sure, I'll take one," she replied while her angelic friend took another copy out and signed it for her. "Thanks," Crona mentioned, accepting the manuscript from Macarona and checking the signature inside. She smiled, liking the message inside. _"To a special friend who I couldn't have solved the conspiracy without: thank you, Crona."_ Crona then chuckled after reading the message aloud. "You're very welcome, Macarona, though I should say the same."

"And you're quite welcome too, Crona. It was a pleasure helping you solve the case that haunted you all your life," the young angel said with a smile, happy to have been of aid to the demon who sought the truth behind her mother's death. "I'm certain your mother and foster ancestor would be proud of you," she added, referring to them both.

"I know they are," the demon uttered softly, shutting her eyes and reminiscing on when she and Macarona met them last year after the angel defeated Germain with the help of those other animatronic characters and the spirits of both Clarabella and Crona's mother. "We've both done a lot to help them, and I just know they are resting easy now."

"I'll wager they are," came a familiar voice from the entrance as the individual walked over. Turning around, Macarona and Crona saw it was none other than Lil, guessing she overheard their conversation. "I must say, you've got quite the familial connections, Crona. Being adopted by an angelic engineer who owned a museum—well, technically a relative of yours was back then from what I've heard, but still—must be an honor being related to her if not by blood."

"It sure is," the other demon concurred, grateful for the amicable compliment Lil gave her as a friend.

"Hey, Lil, have you seen if there are other people heading in about now?" Macarona asked to change the topic, wondering if her other demonic friend caught sight of anybody beginning to show up for today's venue about the book.

"Yep!" the lady responded as Macarona directed her over to the chair chosen for her. Reaching her arm up as they ambled over to it, Lil placed a hand on the angel's shoulder to draw her closer. "Including that goat demon with the little girl at his side…" she added, turning the volume of her voice down till it became a hushed whisper only Macarona could hear because neither of them wanted to cause a scene that would've scared away the other guests. "And Daimonji's hidden within the shadows at the far end of the courtyard, too…I don't sense Anten anywhere around here…"

"He must still be very injured from our fight against him…" Macarona replied in a whispered tone as well.

"Probably, or he might be elsewhere…" Lil said before raising her voice. "Oh, thanks for the seat and the book!"

The young angel smiled amicably. "Sure, no problem!" she replied happily as they shielded their intentions regarding the goat demon and that little girl from public sight. Only Crona would've heard them if she was nearby, though the other demon had gone to greet the visitors as they walked through the front entrance. Their cover was safe, for not even the underlings of Satanick would've known about what they were planning. As a matter of fact, the angelic girl turned around to face the people attending today's venue with a smile and noticed the pair she and Lil were seeking to observe striding forward down the center aisle. The little girl was pulling her escort, cheerfully looking forward to the event with much anticipation and plopping down right beside Lil. Her enthusiasm garnered a chuckle from the angelic girl who had to admit she was starting to like the little girl already, and even Lil had to inwardly admit she was pretty cute despite the fact she was alongside an assassin in service to the Gentleman Devil of the Devil's Kingdom, her dipshit husband.

"Come on, Envi! I want a front row seat!" the small child chirped as she sat beside the demonic lady and ushered the demonic youth with her towards the seat next to her. "When can I get an autograph, Envi? Can I have one now?"

"Patience, Crea, we don't want to come across as demanding," the goat demon responded soothingly to her request. "The author and an associate of hers shall be taking questions first before the author will sign any of the books." His reply, though somewhat strict, was rather gentle since he delivered it in a tender tone while pulling the girl closer.

"Okay!" she simply answered back, her cheer not diminished while she returned the hug he gave her.

Not minding granting the request for such a sweet girl, Macarona decided it wouldn't hurt to let her have a copy in advance when she caught sight of a book in the goat demon's hands which she distinctly recognized as a copy of her narrative. Sharing a momentary glance with Lil while the other people were still sitting down, she watched the lady give a very short nod of her head that was so small nobody could have caught it. Macarona did since it was directed towards her, and now the two of them knew the names of these other individuals from the Devil's Kingdom: Envi and Crea. Neither of them were going to reveal they planned on observing them, nor would they call the authorities which would alert these assassins to this objective. Macarona and Lil were acting covert on this secret operation of theirs, ensuring they acquired enough information about the identities of their two mysterious guests before they acted on it with whatever their next action was. "Oh, no, it's quite alright, really," she assured them and held her hand out to accept their copy so she could autograph it for the little girl. "I'll gladly sign a copy now since there's still a few seconds left so everyone can get seated." Taking the book from him and using her pen to write a brief message, Macarona didn't need to ask for their names as the pair already said them. _"To Crea and Envi from Macarona,"_ she thought to herself in her head as she wrote just that before handing the manuscript back. "There you go, I'm sure you must have a few good questions to ask about this."

"Not really, she hasn't even read the book yet. This is just so she can understand the content in advance," Envi stated, holding Crea close and watching her smile joyfully when she accepted the book to find a signature to her and him from the angel. "Of course, she probably might just ask a couple based on what everyone else is inquiring about today."

"That's fine, she may learn something about the events I describe in my book regarding the conspiracy which is the subject material of this manuscript, so this discussion should help her better understand anything before reading it. And if she does happen to have any additional questions concerning something else, you can feel free to contact me afterwards if that's fine with you, sir. Anything that isn't explained well to you and her can be further clarified at a later time."

Envi smiled as a token of gratitude. "Alright, thanks, we'll give it some consideration if need be."

…

"So, how did it go in there?"

"Pretty well, as a matter of fact," Envi responded to the veteran's question upon walking over to the shadows underneath a tree around the side of Clarabella's Museum of Arts and Crafts. Sitting down while watching Crea play in the flowerbed off to the side of the courtyard a short distance away, he felt grateful for the fact nobody—not even Macarona and Lil—commented on the mask the young creation wore or felt the least bit suspicious about them. Yet he felt that latter concern was trouble already because of Anten's encounter with the duo which led to the two being very suspicious about whom they were and who else might've come to the Gray Garden for Lil. "Crea wanted a front row seat and I let her have it, but she chose the chair directly next to one Miss Lil was seated in. I'm surprised she nor Macarona reacted to it, unless they happened to have already determined who we were and if we were associated with you."

"You didn't mention where you were from, correct?" Daimonji checked if Envi stayed silent.

"Our names were revealed since Crea wanted an autograph from Macarona, but nothing further than that. Still, that doesn't mean we got off the hook. They might be observing us closely because they might be aware of us with the aforementioned suspicion I mentioned taken into their consideration. They did not appear to note our presence all that much, though, but that's likely a covert cover for their suspicion. We don't even know if they told the guards about us."

"The authorities are already suspicious, and four of the attendees were plainclothesmen," the other demon pointed out to inform his younger comrade of the detail if Envi wasn't already aware of it. "Determining whether it's harder to maneuver or not is difficult as they're guarding Miss Lil and observing the outside area with nightblades. I'll not be able to assist you as well without Anten present, and I am also unsure if they somehow figured out he departed."

"If their numbers haven't dwindled around us because of that, then it's likely they haven't," Envi surmised.

"Indeed, for none of the guards around us has left their positions aside from heading off to report to superiors of theirs, I'm guessing. If Anten were still here had he not acted by himself, one of us could tail them to their hideout and eavesdrop on whatever conversations they would likely be having regarding any details concerning our identities and presence in this world. This mission was already difficult to begin with; he didn't need to make it any more troublesome."

"Mm," the goat demon simply murmured softly in agreement, his eyes looking around for Crea since he saw her vanish behind some nearby trees without coming back into sight. Her absence worried him because she might've run off somewhere. Anyone, even the authorities or Lil and Macarona, could've found her. Crea's mask could've fallen off, revealing the stiches on her face that showed exactly what she was: a creation, an amalgamation of human body parts. "Crea's gone missing," he said, voicing this concern to Daimonji while standing up to let him know how serious this current issue was. "We need to find her before somebody else does before it's too late. I hope she's okay and not hurt."

"Very well, lead on," the veteran commented from within the shadows, understanding it wasn't Envi's fault because he had his eyes on the little girl the whole time Envi was giving his brief report. Still, the goat demon should've kept a better watch on her by walking forward to see where Crea had gone while she was heading through the trees. Even so, he'd overlook it because it was the first offense Envi inadvertently committed unlike that of Anten's previous failure despite how significant this mistake of the goat demon's was. "I'll tail you from the shadows while you look around."

…

"Man, quite a turnout you girls received today," the lady complimented her angelic friend while the two of them were strolling in town towards the café, passing by Apple Park as residents walked right into the area for apple picking. Macarona and Crona had just finished answering whatever inquiries posed to the two of them at the venue earlier, so the demonic girl departed early for the cemetery to help her uncle while the angel stayed behind to sign autographs. Lil's comment on how many individuals showed up that day, including Macarona's other friends and several neighbors of hers, was rather correct because there were so many people there. The large crowd present for the event was massive, and it even included Etihw, Kcalb, and Wodahs too since they were interested in seeing how the angel's book was being received by the masses. The Goddess even got a copy for herself and Kcalb, though attending the show wasn't the only motivation why they were present as Lil and Macarona suspected. A gleam in their eyes shared only by the two of them communicated this matter discreetly between the angelic girl and the demonic lady as they figured they arrived to also keep a watch on Envi and Crea since the authorities must've had an awareness of who they were and what they might've been involved in. Of course, only Macarona and Lil knew the goat demon was likely one of the three assassins sent by Satanick to reacquire Lil, though the little girl, Crea, was a mystery to them. "Lots of people loved the book you wrote."

"Thanks, I'm glad they appreciate the work I've put into writing it," Macarona remarked gratefully, thankful her manuscript was receiving recognition for having been about a conspiracy she helped solve. "There are certainly plenty of other novels like mine that delve into this kind of material, both fictitious and nonfiction alike. A lot of affairs in our world and others we're associated with through commercial ties and friendship are well-known in this day and age, though there were also plenty of secretive operations that haven't been uncovered until today. Some are still unsolved to this day, yet there are others that aren't fully covered on purpose to allow for speculation from numerous parties discussing them."

"Wow, you're definitely a lore savvy people," the demonic lady complimented the Gray Garden's population on their appreciation for history and lore. "I like that! You won't find such appreciation in my underworld, what with its whole 'patrimonial industrialization revolution' going on throughout much of society with corrupt demons at the helm."

"Does the Devil's Kingdom not care much for the past, Lil?"

"Hell yeah, it's a critical flaw in my hell's way of thinking. History repeats itself, and it's been doing that same old shit for as long as I can remember and from what I've learned. Problem is it's only gotten worse in our civilization due to the Devils each contributing to something that would've forever tainted the Devil's Kingdom with bad reputations. One thing leads to another as part of linear history wherein everything is simplified with no analysis of what started what other than simply pointing it out and saying precursor event A made subsequent event B possible without further elaboration. I mean, we've got intelligent scholars who do perform the research and studies, though they're too damn lazy to say anything and are easily corrupted by bribes from those in powerful governmental and corporate institutions; plus they fight a lot, arguing over who's right and who's wrong by not bothering to consider other perspectives for better insight. The schooling system regarding which academic institution follows what philosophies and academia is a bloody mess too because every school, academy, trade school, and university is disunited. They all follow whoever sponsors and offers the funds and bribes to keep them open so students can learn more about the only perspective the academic institution they're in follows. No diverse perspectives and the lack of truth—since schools there can downright lie and fabricate shit—make for poor quality education. How is the Devil's Kingdom supposed to progress when nobody's really getting smart?"

"Good question, though I suppose there might be exceptions if possible," the young angel surmised.

"Me for one, and I know Killie's family counts too since they've paid numerous scholars to teach them the sort of stuff our underworld's schooling system needs to focus on and get together by unifying various ideas to teach them. Hell, even the Queen's intelligent as are her staff and citizens of the region she lives in because she governs that place."

"So only the upper class can be properly educated if they so choose whenever they want to learn new things?"

"Pretty much, but I've heard of rare examples from the middle class that ensure they and their children receive the best education money can buy. Sullivan over in the Department of International and National Diplomatic Affairs manages to get his daughter a good education with the paycheck he gets for working under Yagi. He truly loves his daughter, though I heard from Anten a couple times that his younger sister—whom I should add is also stronger than him—stated she despised her father out of a rebellious streak of hers. Probably some state she's going through I'd say, but I'm positive she doesn't truly hate him even if she labels him as being a pest who's constantly annoying her at times."

"Ah, I see…" Macarona murmured, walking beside the demonic lady as they were heading out for lunch now that the book signing event with that Q&A from the readers of her book was over. "It could be the opposite in some cases. I know Mr. Averniche was quite cranky towards his son when I interviewed the latter for the book just as he was towards everyone else too. I don't know if he truly hated others, or was just rough with them from his career as a guard."

"Well, that old man's been charged for the crimes of letting those animatronic characters get away with murder while under the control of that damned spiritual entity produced from the spirits of four angels, one of whom started the whole bloody conspiracy in the first place," Lil quipped, glad to know somebody was being punished for contributing to the damage that conspiracy caused. "Shit may hit the fan, but somebody's got to claim responsibility for throwing it."

Macarona chuckled, liking her friend's perspective of that even if it was slightly profane. "Well said, Lil."

Lil giggled too in agreement. "Thanks, Macarona!" she responded, putting an arm around the angelic girl when they heard the sound of rummaging through a patch of tall grass and flowers near them. It came from the front of where they were walking to, an apple rolling out of the bush followed by a familiar little girl running after it to catch the fruit.

"There you are!" she uttered happily, seizing her snack in one hand and placing it into a basket gripped firmly in her other hand. Evidently she had gone apple picking like the other residents who'd gone there and acquired the basket from one of the various carts strewn about the park containing baskets like this one with felt fabric bags to take the fruit home. "Envi's going to love this one!" the girl murmured, rubbing it on her chest to wipe off any dust and dirt the apple might've accrued from falling to the ground and rolling away from her. Her small stature made it impossible to collect apples from the trees, hence why all of the others in her basket were filthy too because she took them off the ground. Unaware of who was by her, she didn't realize Macarona and Lil were standing there observing her until she turned around to face them, finally seeing the duo and smiling cheerfully to greet them both. "Hi, Miss Macarona and lady from the museum! What are you two doing here? Are you going apple picking too?" she inquired, making conversation.

"Er, no, we were about to get some lunch," Lil responded, wondering why Crea wasn't with Envi, "and it's Lil, just to let you know," she added, introducing herself to the little girl whose face was still covered by the mask she wore. "We're quite busy, young lady, and we've got no time for apple picking now. Why don't you go join your friend?"

"Because I want to give these apples to him as a surprise gift!" Crea responded happily, answering the inquiry while holding up the basket to show how many apples she collected. All of them really were covered in dirt and dry mud as Lil and Macarona just observed moments ago before the girl made this remark. A shame she couldn't reach the ones up top in the trees unless she asked for help picking only the ripest and cleanest of apples. From how cheerful she sounded, this must've been Crea's first time going apple picking. "I want to share them with Envi and his coworkers later!" Her second statement definitely demonstrated her knowledge of Anten and Daimonji, for Crea clearly seemed to know them both. Whether it was because she was an assassin herself was yet to be determined, but Macarona and Lil doubted it.

"Well, that's awfully nice of you, little girl," Macarona commented, unsure if it was right to be impressed with how sweet this kid was. "But aren't you afraid you'll get separated from him? You must be careful to not get lost."

"I know where they are; Envi and Mr. Daimonji are still at the museum talking about work," Crea replied, the allusion to her caregiver and his colleague making Lil and Macarona share a quick glance with one another the moment Crea shut her eyes. "I didn't want to interrupt and bother them, so I came on my own. I can be really independent!"

"Oh, really, is that so?" the demonic lady asked rhetorically and stepped forward to approach Crea. "My, that's quite an assertive gesture, the present you're making for them. I'm sure they'll enjoy the little snack you're preparing." She didn't mention her idea to the young angel, but knew Macarona was of the same mind as her. If they could somehow get close to this girl and keep her safe from them, they could protect her from Envi and the other assassins if they were thinking about harming her in any way. Yet they would use a cover story to draw the three of them out, claiming they took Crea hostage and would turn her over provided the assassins revealed everything to them. Of course, they wouldn't let Crea go with them anyway because it likely wasn't safe for her to be with them in the first place. Macarona and Lil would've simply alerted the authorities after the two of them lured the hunters where they could become the hunted. "Tell you what, young lady, why don't we help you out? Those apples you currently acquired are filthy, so let's get some nice clean ones, okay?" Lil smiled warmly, gently patting Crea on the head as a token of friendly affection towards her.

The young girl smiled joyfully, grinning from ear to ear. "Okay, lady!" she responded, forgetting to refer to Lil by her name. It wasn't a serious offense since she was just excited to getting help from an accomplished author and her friend, so Lil wasn't bothered by the comment despite taking this opportunity to properly introduce herself this time.

"I said my name's Lil, and you know Macarona too. Tell us, what's your name, young lady?"

Crea smiled back at her while answering with her name. "I'm Crea! I live in a big castle in another world!"

"Wow, that's amazing!" Macarona complimented her, going along with them as she played her part in this idea she and Lil silently formulated. "I didn't know you were royalty, Crea! I guess that must make you a princess, huh?"

"No, I'm not a princess," the girl murmured as if disappointed by the fact. "I just live there with Envi and a lot of other people he knows. Doctor Flankenstein lives there too, but I haven't seen him for a long time. Envi says he's busy." This brief explanation of hers regarding the matter in question made Macarona and Lil look at one another again while they were sauntering into Apple Park with Crea, the little girl's hand in one of the angel's and her other in Lil's hand. The young angel was already familiar with the mention of Victor Flankenstein because Lil told her everything about that last night even though the lady herself wasn't too familiar with him. Yet it appeared Crea was unaware of his passing.

"Ah, well, I do hope the good doctor will find some time to spend with you when you return to see him," Macarona uttered, feeling sorry for the poor girl when a sudden realization hit her. Crea…and the way she pronounced her name…it almost sounded like she was some kind of creation based on her pronunciation of her name. Macarona looked at Lil as if to silently communicate this with her while speaking up to vocally utter the girl's name. "Don't worry, Crea, I'm positive Doctor Flankenstein will be finished with whatever project he's working on." Mentioning this aloud, the angel successfully got the message across as Lil nodded, acknowledging what her angelic friend just discovered even as Macarona was saying something to make Crea feel better about any loneliness she might've felt without the doctor in her life. Victor Flankenstein must've been her creator if their assumption about her was correct, and she might've seen him as a father figure because of that. "He's probably thinking about you right now and is wondering how you're doing."

"I know, but Envi says he needs to focus on his work so he won't make any mistakes. Doctor Flankenstein says it's important he doesn't get anything wrong and to learn from things that went awry because of some weird stuff."

"What sort of work does the good doctor do?" Lil inquired, wondering if she could tease some information out of Crea concerning anything Victor Flankenstein might've been involved with or anything he was working on. She thought the little girl might not know, but there was still a chance Crea may have known at least something, however minor and insignificant it was or might've seemed. Granted, she and Macarona knew he was a scientist and one of the Five Fingers Satanick had, but neither of them knew what exactly he did for the Gentleman Devil and Warwick.

"I don't know, though Envi tells me it's important and not to ask questions about it because it's complicated," the young girl replied, still impressing her new friends somewhat with the rather advanced vocabulary of hers. They could only guess she learned how to speak properly with words little girls her age—what appeared to be her age from the look of her—wouldn't have likely known how to say effectively without knowing the right pronunciation and definitions. "Envi looks after me while Doctor Flankenstein is busy, and they're both super nice people. I really like them a lot."

"Sounds like you look up to them," Macarona said as her opinion of Envi was being shaped by what she was hearing from Crea. At first she suspected the goat demon might've been like Anten and this Daimonji guy whom she had yet to meet, but heard about from Lil. Maybe he was similar to Maekami, the retired assassin, too. Then again, Crea's favor of Envi, and Doctor Flankenstein too for that matter, painted Envi in a different light than what she and Lil expected of him. Perhaps he and Victor Flankenstein were not truly evil as they thought even though the guys served Satanick and possibly did some work for Warwick through the Gentleman Devil. "You must be happy to have them both in your life."

"I am, they're so good and nice to me," Crea replied when a group of particular apples up in one tree caught her attention when she looked at them. "Oooh, those look like nice apples! Can we get those nice red apples up there?!"

"You mean the Red Delicious ones?" Lil commented rhetorically and emptied the basket since Crea handed it to her before they entered Apple Park together. "Sure, no problem!" Dumping the dirty apples out by holding the basket upside down, the demonic lady then walked right up to the tree and plucked some juicy apples from a branch prior to levitating up a couple feet to collect some more. Her feet firmly placed upon the ground a few seconds later, she went back to Macarona and Crea, handing the full basket to her angelic friend. "Here, let's get some more baskets. We know a girl who makes quite a mean apple pie," she stated, referring to Dialo and her skill at baking such delicious pastries like pie.

"Oooh, pie! I like pie!" the little girl chirped happily, bouncing in delight at the mention of a tasty treat.

"Good to hear!" the demonic lady remarked, glad to have found an opportunity in which she and Macarona would be able to possibly isolate this girl farther from Envi and the other two demonic assassins. If she and the angelic girl could get her to Dialo's house where the young demon and her angelic housemate could babysit Crea for a bit, Macarona and Lil would ensure eyes were on her while they went after the assassins. Crea obviously didn't appear to be skilled and she wasn't much of a fighter. If anything, she was just a normal girl from the Devil's Kingdom—and if she was a creation as Lil and Macarona suspected, an abnormal anomaly produced from and by whatever means utilized to create her. "Come on, let's go! We'll collect a lot of apples, enough to bake some pie and share it with your friends! Sound good?"

Crea grinned, liking the sound of that idea since that way everybody could have a slice or two if a second pie was baked—or more, depending on how many apples were brought to Dialo which in turn would've increased the amount of whole pies she would've made. Had Crea known Yosafire well, she would've been familiar with how many apples the young demon usually took whenever she wanted her friend to bake a pie. Of course, Dialo's manner of cooking might have been scary to watch in the little girl's opinion since she never saw how the demonic girl handled some food when cooking and baking. The thought worried Macarona since she felt seeing that would probably frighten anyone not too familiar with Dialo's style as it was certainly intimidating enough to those who weren't and were seeing it for the first time. "Yep!" Crea chirped, responding to Lil's idea enthusiastically because she really did want to enjoy meeting others while making Envi and his associates happy by letting them have pie. "That's awesome! How much pie can we make?"

Lil smiled back. "As much as you'd like, dear. I'm sure she won't mind," she said, familiar with how much pie Dialo would've produced after seeing how many apples Yosafire brought from Apple Park one time several days ago. "She's quite a natural in the kitchen, and the pie will be done in no time once she's started after acquiring apples."

"When can we go make apple pie with her?" the little girl asked as they began gathering more apples together.

"Once we finish filling these baskets we'll head right for her place and see if she and her housemate are in," Macarona answered her, wondering if her friends were even home. They might not have gone home after the venue today, so perhaps they'd have to call her and check in with Dialo to see if an appropriate time could be scheduled. The young angel had her reservations about letting Crea stay with them because the demonic assassins may have located Crea there and probably would've harmed Dialo and Chelan. However, those two were reincarnated descendants of Lost and Ciel and could likely handle themselves somewhat well if they were decent enough at casting spells. Neither of them were combatants, though the two might've known enough spells to hold the assassins off for a bit until any help arrived.

"Okay!" Crea commented, receiving apples from Lil and Macarona after they flew up to collect some out of reach when she heard a familiar voice calling her name. Her head turning in the direction of where the caller was coming from, she grinned wider as she realized it was Envi. "Oh, Envi!" she called back, waving to him while watching the goat demon jog up to her just as Macarona and Lil were finishing up with any good apples on the tree they were by. "Envi, Envi, look at these! They're juicy apples! Want one? We're going to bake pie later, come join us! It'll be a lot of fun!"

"I'm sure it will, Crea, but don't run off like that again, okay?" Envi gently chided her for making him worry.

"Sorry, I just wanted it to be a present for you guys," the little girl apologized, upset at how she displeased him.

"It's okay, I understand," the goat demon murmured, hugging her because he was glad she was alright.

"Okay," she murmured softly, holding an apple out to him. "Want an apple?" she offered, hoping he'd take it.

"Sure," he commented, not speaking up about her allusion to Daimonji and Anten since he didn't want to give them away. Crea had already done just that which was a risk because Macarona and Lil were already aware of their presence in the Gray Garden. Looking up at them, Envi felt grateful to the pair for having kept Crea safe rather than turning her over to the guards. He might've been an assassin on a mission, but he was in no position to make much progress towards capturing Lil when other people were nearby with the angelic girl already aware of whom they were. Recovering the demonic lady now with the authorities and other citizens present besides their target and her angelic friend was a move neither he nor his two associates dared to make. Anten attempted to last night, but failed and blew their cover before he was sent back to the Devil's Kingdom, though Envi knew his brash associate wouldn't make that mistake again. "Thanks for watching over her for me. My apologies if she inadvertently caused you ladies any trouble today."

"Oh, it's fine, really, it's no problem at all," Macarona reassured him, raising a hand to politely wave the concern aside. "Crea's been a good girl for the several minutes she was with us. We were just helping her collect some apples."

"There'll be apple pie later," Lil uttered as if she was trying to lure him into accepting the offer in order to lull Envi into a false state of security. She didn't expect him to be gullible, but figured it was worth the try since she knew he was simply keeping up the appearance of him and Crea posing as tourists. "Why don't you join us for some if she still has questions about Macarona's book? There's a friend of ours who really knows how to make quite a mean apple pie."

Envi stood up straight and shut his eyes, putting a bent finger to his chin while considering the offer. "Maybe, I'll just have to see if I'm available," he responded, opening his eyes to find the girl he spoke of already at the base of this tree by them all. Judging by the direction she was looking up in, the little girl found another juicy apple she wanted to acquire. "Crea, be careful, okay? Why don't you let one of us climb up to go get it for you?" he suggested as she threw rocks.

"It's alright, Envi, I've got it!" she attempted to assure her caregiver she was fine when one of the rocks she threw made contact with the apple she sought. It swayed on the branch, its stem's connection to the branch weakening prior to the moment when it actually fell. Crea was underneath it trying to catch the ripe fruit, though missed it as the apple bonked her on the head. She didn't even utter a soft moan or expressed the slight feeling of pain in that minor impact despite a normal individual doing so after being hit on the head by something like an apple. Although this abnormality was not too serious to be noticed, her mask fell off; while she did notice this, Crea didn't think about putting it back on at that moment because that apple held her attention more than the mask. "See?" she showed them said apple upon turning around after picking it up, revealing the stiches on her face with a smile as she didn't realize what had happened—what would happen now that the secret was revealed. "Told you I've got it, see? It's a good one, isn't it? Won't this make for a tasty pie?"

"Ah, sure, Crea," Envi replied, hastily stepping over to put the mask back on her face while she was turning. Unfortunately, he was too late since Lil and Macarona both saw the stitches already; thankfully nobody else did. A smirk of satisfaction was displayed on the demonic lady's face, for she had suspected something of the sort about Crea. Macarona, meanwhile, was simply baffled at the sight of those stiches even though she too had suspected this as well. Knowing they already discovered the girl's secret which he and his comrades wanted to hide, Envi felt there was no avoiding this becoming public knowledge. To avoid spreading it any further, he knew he had to accept their offer. "You know, I do believe it'd be alright to have a pleasant chat over pie," he said to them. "When will the pastry be ready? Crea and I would still like to go around seeing the sights, but we can make time to meet up somewhere so we can talk."

"Oh, don't worry, we just need to check in with our friend to see if she's available now," Lil responded. "Why don't you just wait with us until she is if she isn't? We have plenty of time, after all; it'll be no problem entertaining you."

…

Dialo was unavailable as they expected just as they thought she could've been available. It was a fifty-fifty chance of her being present at her home or elsewhere, though that didn't bother them too much because then Dialo and Chelan would've been safe away from home for however long they were not there. Even if they were, Macarona and Lil would've protected them from the assassins and ensured they wouldn't learn about the assassins either—along with the secret these assassins knew regarding Crea. Whether the young creation herself was aware of this secret or not had yet to be determined, but it initially appeared she didn't which was good for her since that might cause an identity crisis of sorts for her. At least the little girl was still happy, enthusiastically looking forward to pie now that she finished eating lunch.

Now situated within Macarona's house, Crea was staring in awe at everything around her. She and the others were currently seated in the study where all of the books the young angel had were found. Bookcases lined the walls, books filling every shelf and the spaces above them just in between books neatly organized upright and shelves above those upright books. Every bookcase was absolutely packed with books, a lot of which Macarona had yet to even read. Her own manuscript of the conspiracy surrounding Clarabella's Museum of Arts and Crafts and Project Dynol Peiriant rested on the desk with some other textbooks and journals she had yet to store away inside the desk or the bureau next to it. The fireplace wasn't lit because it was already warm inside, though a few logs were still stacked neatly beside it for whenever the place got cold. Empty spaces of the walls in the study were decorated by antique candelabras, posters, tapestries, and framed pictures showing Macarona's family and friends. Everything was absolutely amazing to Crea. "Wow, so many books! Did you read all of them, Miss Macarona?! Where did you get all these books?!" she asked.

"From the local bookstore and various others in different towns," the angelic girl answered her inquiry, "but I haven't read them all. Why, I'd say I barely scratched the surface of a collection that keeps growing all the time. There are others in other rooms of my house that have yet to be put away somewhere. I might even have to get rid of some if I can't find places for them here unless I somehow acquire more storage space for the rest of the books I've got and will get."

"Can I have some of the ones you may discard?" Crea asked, wondering if she could receive them as gifts.

"I don't know, it depends on what Envi says and if I have any you might be able to comprehend and are at your age level," Macarona responded again, taking a sip of her tea which she also made for Lil and Envi too while Crea had chocolate milk. "Many of the novels I read are hard, and some textbooks I also read too are probably much harder."

"Oh, okay," the little creation accepted the reply, returning to the little table to get her chocolate milk and sip it before going around the rest of Macarona's study. "This room is so nice. It's a lot like the library in the castle we live in, but smaller. Doctor Flankenstein also has a private library of his own, but I've never been in it; only Miss Kumori and Mr. Rogi have access to his personal accounts and other materials in there." While she may not have been too knowledgeable about the affairs Doctor Flankenstein was involved in and what kind of work he did, Crea at least seemed to know a few of his associates including Envi, Kumori, and this Rogi guy. She lived in Castle Flankenstein after all, so it felt natural to Lil and Macarona for her to be aware of a few people there; of course, Lil herself might not have known the location of Castle Flankenstein whereas Envi and Crea did, but that was a matter for another time as the assassins' presence came first.

"Yes, I've heard the good doctor is quite intelligent among things," the demonic lady spoke up from her seat on the couch beside Macarona. "But that aside for now, what brings you both to the Gray Garden: tourism or business?" She didn't need to bring up Daimonji and Anten because Envi and Crea already knew about them, hence why she masked the veterans by inquiring only about the latter two from the perspective of somebody curious about the foreign demons.

"Sightseeing, believe it or not," the goat demon remarked in response, knowing she and Macarona saw through that cover story. Yet he had to say it anyway because Crea didn't know why they were really here in this world. "We heard great things about the Gray Garden and wanted to check it out while on a business trip. An associate of mine," Envi went on, not needing to name Lil as that associate for the sake of secrecy and because he didn't know her personally, "is currently residing in this world on vacation, so I thought I'd come to Gray Village to stop by and see how she is doing."

"Aw, that's so sweet of you, I'm sure she's doing very well," Lil uttered, thanking him for the sentiment for she knew he was referring to her. "You must know her well, or from others who are more familiar with her, am I right?"

Envi nodded. "Well, I did hear of her, though I consider her an associate all the same regardless of whether or not I actually met her yet. I don't know if she's familiar with me, though we both know the same colleagues back home."

"But how would you know who you're looking for if you've never met her in person?" Macarona asked.

"I've been shown photos of her with them," the goat demon replied, speaking the truth since he certainly had seen pictures of Lil after the lady defeated Anten numerous times while gloating about each of her victories. Satanick had her cellphone hacked to provide these photos and other pictures with videos she took while disabling the system that enabled her to call friends in other worlds whenever the concern of her revealing intricate machinations and secrets arose. Envi was aware he was talking to none other than Lil herself based on this information, plus she and Macarona knew too. Whether Lil also knew her system, the Network of Peers she called it, was disabled or not was uncertain; maybe she didn't know, though Envi felt certain it was because she was with somebody the Gentleman Devil didn't know.

"Ah, that makes sense, yeah," Lil commented, now knowing why Envi was familiar with who she was. "Did you have a chance to meet her so you can really get to know her better than what you've heard? Everything you know so far may or may not be true," she then added, inquiring if he knew what he got himself into and was aware of the truth.

"Not yet, but our colleagues all assured me of what she's like; they know her well and have great integrity."

"I don't suppose you've seen her yet," Macarona mentioned while piping up, aware he had come face to face with Lil already back at the museum and also at Apple Park. She and Lil figured the assassins were now investigating her because the demonic lady resided with her during this marital dispute between Lil and Satanick. That was why Envi and Crea were here, posing as tourists so they could get close to the duo. Although they accomplished that, the ruse was still up even though they had to maintain it because Crea knew absolutely nothing about the mission he and the others were on.

"No, but I'm sure we'll find her eventually, and if not, it doesn't really matter," Envi said. "We just want to greet her, that's all." It wasn't all, for he and other assassins were here to reclaim Lil and bring her back to the Devil's Kingdom. "We're still here on business, after all, and that takes precedent." The business of capturing and returning her clearly did.

"Well, I hope you find her soon before you have to head off," Lil remarked to give him good luck—false luck.

"Thanks," Envi replied when Crea walked over after gazing over the bookcases while finishing her chocolate milk. The goat demon placed a hand on her head, gently rubbing it as a token of warm affection towards her. "What's up, Crea? Is there something you'd like to ask or bring up? Do you have any more inquiries about Miss Macarona's book?"

"No, I already asked everything I want to know," she replied, turning to face Macarona and Lil. "Are there more cool collections and treasures around here?" she then inquired with a different question, seeking a tour of the house.

Lil smiled, a momentary glance at Macarona letting the angel know she'd show the little creation around while Macarona interrogated the goat demon. Daimonji and Anten most likely wouldn't have made their move now after what the latter previously did last night, so the angelic girl was safe to pose her questions to Envi regarding their mission and any other purposes for being in the Gray Garden. "Sure, there are a few unique items here. I can show you them if you want."

"Yay!" Crea cheered, running to the study threshold and out into the corridor with Lil following her. Once they were out of range so the creation wouldn't be able to hear or make out any quiet chatter from this room, Macarona took a deep breath and thought of a place to start with any inquiries she had to acquire more information from the goat demon.

"She certainly is quite energetic," she first began by complimenting Crea's enthusiasm. "You must be quite proud of her, Mr. Envi. Why, I'd say you're more of an older brother to her than a simple caretaker, is that correct?"

The goat demon nodded with a small smile. "Indeed, I get that sometimes." His smile soon faded, however, for he realized she was going to interrogate him. With Crea still in relatively close proximity to the study, a fight between him and Macarona would've caught her attention. Not to mention the fact he was alone with a girl who stood up against the Flame Devil and lived, defeating Ivlis and helping to rout him from the Gray Garden. "But frankly I know this is but mere small talk now and I'm also perfectly aware of the situation I'm in. My apologies for Anten's recklessness; his impatience contributed to his undoing and blew our cover. We needn't beat around the bush, so go ahead, begin your interrogation."

"Fair enough," the angel conceded, figuring he was in no position to fight back because Crea was presently nearby. The noise of her chatter with Lil about trinkets in other rooms was enough to remind them she was there, and it also reminded Envi that she was safe. "I presume you guys have come to take Lil back into the Devil's Kingdom to her husband, correct? A simple enough objective to understand, though we cannot help but think there's more to this."

"If there was, I wouldn't know," Envi replied honestly. "This is my first mission with the group, so I don't know all the details regarding anything Daimonji and Anten might be aware of. Perhaps Mr. Satanick assigned me to them to determine whether I can be trusted with such information or not; I have served as a guard in Castle Flankenstein, and I know the good doctor was one of the Gentleman Devil's most trusted subordinates. A shame he passed away."

"The stiches on Crea's face…" Macarona murmured, gesturing to where they were on the little creation's face by pointing to her own face as an example despite having no stiches herself. "Did Doctor Flankenstein produce her?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes, he produced her from human body parts. A kind of advanced alchemical necromancy so to speak by utilizing chemistry and technology to generate electrical discharge that powers her after the stiches pieced her together while chemical concoctions repaired and regenerated damaged organs in her new body."

"But for what purpose?" the angelic girl asked. "Why create her and have her join you on this mission?"

"You're aware she and I are posing as tourists?" Envi asked rhetorically to which Macarona nodded.

"Yes, though I do not understand why she was created. Was it for this mission specifically?"

The goat demon shook his head, sipping his tea. "No, Crea was made a long time ago in our world; however long that equates to in your own world is uncertain even to me, though the length of time does not matter in this respect. Mr. Satanick ordered the doctor to produce a being like her as an experiment, though never specified why to anyone else but him. Before his passing, Doctor Flankenstein instructed me to continue watching over Crea and take care of her as I've done throughout my career under him. She's only here because Mr. Satanick granted me permission to bring her when I told him of this, and I've been aware that it was for the purpose of posing as tourists to disguise our real objective here: to collect Miss Lil and return her home. Our mission was particularly difficult, what with not being allowed to assassinate anybody and secure her in secret with nobody else aware. Unfortunately, the authorities seem to have figured us out despite making no real moves yet beyond their observance of us, and now you and Miss Lil know we're here too."

"I guess I'll take this being your first mission with them as an indication of you never having killed anyone."

"Crea would perceive me differently if I ever have, so no, I've never taken a life for her sake or anyone else's."

"Yet you are Mr. Maekami's replacement," Macarona pointed out, demonstrating her awareness of this fact.

"Perceptive…" Envi complimented her deduction, acknowledging that Lil must've informed this angel of that. "Indeed, I am his replacement since Mr. Maekami retired and started managing a bar, giving up his life as an assassin. His skills will be missed by his associates and superiors, and they—particularly Uncle Yagi—are expecting me to pull my weight on this team. I may not be like him, nor will I ever be the one of us who kills our targets, but there are other things I can do to contribute and ensure our work goes smoothly. Change of subject, though I can tell we aren't the only topic Miss Lil shared with you, Macarona. She must've obviously informed you—and only you—of more…intricate topics."

Macarona nodded, realizing he guessed correctly about what the demonic lady mentioned to her. "True, I'll not deny that. What makes you think I'm the only one she told? For all you know, the authorities may already be aware too."

"They haven't made a move yet as I said," the goat demon clarified for her. "And I know my allusion to these things proves them true, I shan't deny it. However, know that the individual in charge of it all is very powerful and is unforgiving and brutal towards those who betray and go against him. It was by his orders that we delve into certain matters and projects dealing with—well, let's just say powerful stuff not of this existence as I'll reveal nothing more of this."

"Warwick…" Macarona murmured, guessing correctly as Envi simply nodded. "What kind of stuff?"

"He's got his fingers in a lot of pies, so to speak, and he's strong with such powerful connections. Consider this your warning to not get involved and to stay out of all of this, Macarona. You may have defeated Ivlis, but you've yet to even encounter him and his associates and learn about what they're capable of. You may not trust me, but at least do believe that," he finished speaking, letting her take this cautionary advice to heart if she so chose to when Crea and Lil returned from the tour the latter gave to the former. "Ah, you're back. How was the tour Crea? Did you enjoy it?"

Crea nodded, leaping up onto the couch beside him and curling up against her caregiver. "Yep, it was fun! I really enjoyed looking at all the nice treasures Miss Macarona and Miss Lil have. They were all so very intriguing!"

Macarona smiled while Lil winked at her. "Good, I'm glad you enjoyed it," the angelic girl said cheerfully.

…

 **Envi and Crea make for a good canon character pairing, and I think they go really well together for this reason. While Envi may be more of an older brother, babysitter, or caregiver to her, Crea seems to be like the other party in such bonds. The wikia does mention Victor Flankenstein created her, though it also gives his surname as hers too while also saying he's something of a father figure to her, hence the reference to this in this chapter. Furthermore, it also says Satanick asked Victor Flankenstein to make her without saying why; that's why I've come up with a reason that shall be revealed much later in this story. Feel free to speculate on this. As for what Envi's revealed, you can speculate on it too. I've not mentioned everything I wanted to include in this chapter, but I will mention a bit more in the next if there's anything else Envi could've said to Macarona and Lil.**

 **Linear history is the concept of history being presented in a fashion in which an event led to another event and so on throughout this cycle. While various cultures and societies present notions of cyclical history in which history had: various beginnings, ends, and midpoints, all of which were incorporated in a cycle or cycles that functioned however these cycles were utilized and expressed by the cultures and societies. Time had many cycles and periods to them, such as: aeons/eons, millenniums, golden and dark ages, and whatnot. Linear history, however, emerged during the Enlightenment as a concept explaining how time was irreversible and consisted of events that preceded others which subsequently proceeded after them as consequences or results of precursor events. You can learn more about these philosophical notions of history on Wikipedia if you're interested.**

 **Another thing you could look up on Wikipedia is the Red Delicious apple; these apples were cloned via apple cultigens with more than fifty cultivators producing them. In 1880, the Madison County of Iowa in the United States recognized this type of apple as a cultivated product. However, due to new apples that tasted better and had better textures emerging later on, the Red Delicious' popularity declined. Although its flavor may go bad even though its appearance still looks good, the US Apple Association ranks it as the fifteenth popular cultivator.**


	14. Chapter Fourteen: Satanick Arrives

Hands inside his pockets, the demonic assassin strode through the hall thinking of how he'd explain himself and the situation to his superior. He scowled, not wanting to be the one to inform the Gentleman Devil of what happened and how it was his fault. Anten heard of many who displeased Satanick, some of whom even he and Daimonji slew when the Devil ordered them to take care of failures. Back when Maekami was part of the trio, he'd assist too. Though that wasn't the only issue that worried him; he was one of the Fingers, the Pinky Finger of Satanick. Such high prestige that came with the status, however humiliating it sounded because he was the Pinky, would've been lost once he told the Gentleman Devil what occurred in the Gray Garden and how he himself failed by blowing their cover far too early. Technically they weren't supposed to at all, but Lil discovered their plan before he followed her and that angel and was most likely collaborating with the Gray Garden against them. The thought she became an ally of that world was just dreadful.

That was very bad for the Devil's Kingdom, and Anten knew it was far worse than what he'd suffer. Unlike the rest of civilization, he was a cog in the machine that kept it running—a minor cog, but still one with significance since he was a Finger, an assassin Satanick himself employed to assassinate dissenters of their society's laws and rules. He was easily replaceable because the Gentleman Devil would only have to find another cog to serve that role once he'd been killed as punishment for failing. Compared to him, the Devil's Kingdom would've been greatly scandalized by Lil's testimony that her husband was still working with Warwick even after access to the Black Market World was cut off so that no other underworld would trade with it due to the black market being illegal and outlawed by GriRea. That was if anybody believed her if she did indeed inform others of the threat, and even if they didn't an investigation was going to be conducted regardless just to ensure whether she was telling the truth or not. Although Satanick could've hid the evidence, he would not have been in a position to halt the investigation because Her Majesty was the one who would've ordered for it to be carried out. The Gentleman Devil might've governed this hell for her, but she was still the Queen and in charge.

"And just where have you been, Anten?" a voice beside him asked as Anten turned to face the speaker.

"Glasses," he responded quite coldly, not saying a word more on his whereabouts for the past while.

"Going somewhere?" the Devil's estranged son inquired, curious as to why Anten was going towards his father's office. He himself was merely delivering a report of how another meeting with Mors had gone, though knew it was odd for Anten to be coming the same way. Usually the demonic assassin slunk in via shadows, and he wasn't with Daimonji to boot. "Visiting my father from this angle? I can only assume from this and your attitude that you screwed something up, but it's not my business, so I don't really care." He blew a ring of smoke from his cigarette out into the air.

"Then if you don't care, why the hell are you of all people demanding to know my business?" Anten retorted.

"Just making a casual observation based upon prior observations of individuals who have taken this very same path you're on. They too had failed some mission my father sent them on and never even left the office for that matter."

The demonic assassin merely huffed, though he couldn't suppress the irritation he felt at Glasses' words for they were quite true. He and the other two—Daimonji and Maekami—did slay some of those failures in the past, after all. "So what if I did fail, hmm? You and I both know Mr. Satanick can't very well get rid of a subordinate who's still useful and has performed marvelously well for him for decades—hell, even centuries for that matter. I'm still in the clear, kid."

"You say that," Glasses replied, "knowing he could still very well dispose of you like any other failure."

"Tch, whatever," Anten spat back, coming across as uncaring regarding whatever fate was in store for him as the pair finally reached the mahogany door leading into the Gentleman Devil's office. Opening the door and crossing over the threshold, Glasses merely stepped inside the ornately decorated office and plopped the report he was delivering on his father's desk wordlessly before leaving. Entering as well into the office, Anten straightened his tie before approaching further. The walls were covered in satin wallpaper, red and golden stripes flowing upwards and downwards from the ceiling to the floor. Landscape paintings of various spaces and regions in the Devil's Kingdom hung on the walls, old tapestries joining them in decoration of such a fancy office. A leather couch was against a wall just underneath a window peering out into the garden stories below, a large coffee table before it with a small table to the furniture's left and one display case on the other side featuring several oriental blades Satanick liked to collect and show off. Two were even held within a rack on top of the display case too. Bookshelves lined the wall behind the desk where the Gentleman Devil sat, a couple more against another wall opposite his oriental blades. "You wanted to see me, sir?" he asked, a bit hesitant.

"Indeed, I did," Satanick murmured and held an arm out to gesture for Anten to take a seat across from him in one of two wooden chairs made comfy by leather seats as Glasses was departing the office. Anten did so while walking forward, claiming the chair next to the one Yagi sat in. The superior demon's attention was on him as Anten believed he was glaring at him. Various office supplies lined the desk in a neat and tidy fashion, a desk lamp unlit since the lights above were already on. "From your return, I can only surmise you've either succeeded or failed the mission I assigned you." The Gentleman Devil displayed a whimsical smirk hiding the tension behind it, this tension being the decision he'd make concerning his subordinate based on how the mission to reclaim Lil went. As the Devil, he could easily order Anten's execution; Yagi even had his shotgun on him with a revolver holstered at his side, though would've shot him elsewhere so as not to ruin the office by getting blood anywhere in it. There was a door beside one of the bookcases behind Satanick, and Anten knew that was the room where all failures went to die for failing. "So, which is it, Anten: success or failure?"

Taking a deep breath, Anten knew he had no choice but to tell the truth. "Failure, she still resides in the Gray Garden," he answered, catching sight of Yagi readying his shotgun. "Though I come with valuable information, sir," he added right away, not hesitating to say it, but citing this in a calm voice because he knew Satanick would listen to him.

"Oh, and what sort of information would that be, Anten?" the Gentleman Devil said, motioning for Yagi to hold off on dragging the assassin into the other room to kill him. "What could be so valuable that you'd like to keep breathing?"

"We found out where Miss Lil's staying; she's in Gray Village, but not in Blancblack Castle which is located there. Apparently she's most likely taken up residence with some angelic girl who lives there," he explained briefly.

"And how did you come by this information?" Yagi demanded, still gripping his shotgun carefully.

"I spotted her with the angel and tailed them to a forest, unaware Miss Lil had already sensed my presence. She brought the angel with her, and together they kicked my ass. My apologies, I should've known to not underestimate her simply because she was with an angel. I believed Miss Lil would've held back instead of managing to take me on by herself and winning like she usually does as she would've focused more on protecting the angel than trying to fight me."

"And you believed wrong, Anten," Satanick spoke up to address that misguided belief his subordinate held. "You of all people know her well; you were one of the three assassins I assigned to act as her warders, remember? It shouldn't be so hard recalling that, but you followed her anyway and I presume you tried to take her singlehandedly."

Anten simply nodded. "I did, I'm sorry, but there's more to it than that. This angel—"

"Do not even think for a second that you were defeated because an angel was present too," Yagi scolded him for trying to mention the angelic girl he was speaking of. "That angel may likely know of our designs now because Miss Lil must've told her—for all we know, she's with the authorities of that world. They can work against us and could retaliate against us for sending you there to retrieve her all because you blundered and tried to harm one of the residents there."

"You don't understand, Mr. Yagi! This angel's serious business!"

"Only because you blew your cover to her," Yagi retorted to Anten's protest.

"Gentleman, please," Satanick quieted them both to prevent a pointless argument from starting between them. Turning his head, he looked at Anten expecting more from his subordinate concerning the angelic girl. "Tell us, who is this angel you speak of? Why is she, someone who may or may not be with the authorities of the Gray Garden, a big deal in your eyes? If she is, surely our concerns are validly legitimate; if not, they still are, but why is she so significant?"

"Her name's Macarona," Anten responded, calming down to finish his report of how their mission was going. "Envi and Crea learned of her from a book the girl apparently wrote. She looks like some kind of schoolgirl, though she's quite tough from what I experienced when fighting her and Miss Lil. Envi also said she helped fight against the Flame Devil, Ivlis, even going so far as to actually take him on herself. I don't know if that's true, but from what I know—"

"You believe that matter is actually true, that she did indeed fight Ivlis herself?" Satanick concluded with a rhetorical inquiry to which Anten nodded to confirm the matter as true. "Very well, I do believe it's time I got involved to look into this for myself. A mere schoolgirl like this Macarona could not possibly defeat a Devil, even if said Devil is Ivlis, so she certainly must be as strong and powerful as you say." The Gentleman Devil stood up from his desk to straighten his tie, directing his attention to Yagi. "Yagi, see to it that our luggage is prepared; it's time you and I paid a little visit to the Gray Garden to investigate this matter ourselves." Receiving a brief reply of affirmation from his Chancellor and Marshal, Satanick returned his attention to Anten now that the brief meeting was over. "You'll live for now, Anten, but I expect you to be more discreet and careful in the future. I'll even let you keep your status as my Pinky if you promise me this."

"You have my word, sir, I vow to act accordingly in accordance with your orders," Anten responded loyally.

Satanick smiled. "Good, you'll come with us to rejoin Daimonji and Anten, is that clear?"

Anten nodded. "Understood."

…

"Well, that could've gone a little better," the veteran commented after Envi and Crea left Macarona's house once their business there concluded. "I'd have said it'd have been better to not say anything at all, though it appears not much could've been done in the first place aside from locating Crea first. Of course, she shouldn't know about us either."

"Hence why I try to keep some distance between us so she won't overhear our conversations," Envi clarified, knowing there wasn't much that could've been done regarding Crea. "I accept full responsibility for the mistake, but really, what more could I do in addition to keeping my eye on her? You need to stay hidden within the shadows."

"Yes, showing myself at a moment like that would have surely contributed to jeopardizing the mission. Then again in hindsight, perhaps it would've been efficient leaving her behind under the care of somebody else she trusts."

"Maybe, though I cannot do that. I know what the faculty back at Castle Flankenstein are capable of," the goat demon said while watching the little creation frolic in the meadow where they rejoined Daimonji, ensuring he had a better watch on her this time. "Besides, there's also an unknown reason why Mr. Satanick requested her creation in addition to the doctor's care for her. Bringing her with me ensures her safety as I am following the instructions Doctor Flankenstein left behind prior to his untimely passing." He inhaled a breath of fresh air, casually sitting atop a pole on the roadside.

"Whatever the case may be, there's nothing we can do about it now," Daimonji remarked, switching gears to another topic. "Now then, what of what you told the angel regarding the other matters? You kept quiet on them, yes?"

"I merely gave a warning not to get involved, stating the reason as clearly as I could without alluding to anything in greater detail other than his involvement in things not of this existence and what and who they're dealing with. We cannot expect her to adhere, for she may become active opposition whether she informs the authorities here or not or by taking us on with them as she'd done with Miss Lil against Anten. Speaking of which, Miss Lil correctly guessed he was sent back to the Devil's Kingdom when her badgering garnered no response from me when she asked where he was."

"I see…" Daimonji murmured, evaluating how harmful it was to their objective when Envi spoke with Macarona about Crea while also mentioning that warning. "All the same, the setbacks we experienced are detrimental."

"Do you believe Mr. Satanick will make an appearance in this world for Miss Lil once he hears Anten's report?"

"I should say so, he would have to negotiate for her and clear up any suspicions we aroused due to our conduct."

"Does he have anything in mind for this world? Macarona asked if there was more to our mission," Envi stated.

"If there was at the moment for the time being, he would say so," the other demon clarified. "Mr. Satanick only discusses such information and planning with Mr. Yagi. As his personal assassins and Fingers, we're not to question or even speak of whatever notions they have in store for others. Our raison d'etre is simply to kill any and all opposition."

"I'll take that as a maybe…" the goat demon murmured, beginning to have a much clearer understanding of the work he'd be involved in as one of the Gentleman Devil's assassins. "If so, I'm not sure I'd be cut out for this work."

"That's for Mr. Satanick to decide, and you'd better hope he doesn't find you to be a hindrance to us all."

"I'll keep that in mind," Envi said, watching Crea continue to play happily in the field.

…

Seated at her desk in school, the young angel jotted down notes in her mathematics class on how to solve a problem the teacher was currently working on. The squeak of his marker against the whiteboard echoed in the classroom as he wrote the problem and went over how to solve it. It was an algebraic problem, Macarona's favorite subject of mathematics since she enjoyed solving such problems because of how intricate they were when making the students think. She would've loved more advanced mathematics courses taught in the castle, calculus being the one she looked forward to the most because she sought to delve into integral and differential branches of calculus. Problem solving of this nature could've been applied to real life too in a variety of other fields like construction, biology, and chemistry. Were she to major in specific courses like these, she would've been something of a natural in class; of course, she had some other academic interests as well and was still thinking about what she could do. The thought of being an author, a foreign ambassador or diplomat, or both came to mind because of her book and her friends in other worlds, making it an idea.

Her future career wasn't the only thing on her mind, however, for Macarona still pondered on what she had learned so far about the demonic assassins from the Devil's Kingdom. They came here for Lil, though neither she nor the demonic lady could fully trust if there were other motivations for them being in the Gray Garden or not. Even Envi was unaware despite having warned the angelic girl not to get involved in such matters prior to him leaving her house later that Sunday. Nonetheless, once he was gone and Lil had informed her that Anten reported back to her husband, the lady surmised there really might've been more to this simple mission than the assassins themselves would've known of. It was possible Satanick had plans to initiate an invasion to war against the Gray Garden, keeping these ideas a secret even from them. That was just a guess on her part because they had nothing concrete to prove it aside from their suspicions that were shared by the authorities too even though Macarona and Lil didn't inform them of the possible threat and what the latter told the former. They had yet to inform them, though discussed how they'd go about telling them what they learned.

Eventually they decided to tell them the next day. Macarona had school and couldn't attend the meeting, but Lil certainly went to the castle to update Etihw, Kcalb, and Wodahs on the affair regarding Satanick and his assassins. It had gone somewhat well from what the lady told her angelic friend later over dinner. Etihw was slightly alarmed they kept what they knew from them for a short while, though calmed herself nevertheless since Wodahs and Kcalb understood the situation. They were already looking into it as Lil and Macarona correctly deduced on their own, but couldn't go further in the investigation aside from contacting Daimonji and Envi directly. Their plan was to make the assassins stand down and wait until the Gentleman Devil arrived so they could meet and negotiate with him about how to solve the problem Lil was involved in—which they became involved in too because she came to this world and the assassins followed her. That meeting with the two assassins must've occurred sometime during Monday or Tuesday, and it was already Friday. Only a few days had passed since then, though Daimonji and Envi made no further moves in spying on Lil and Macarona. The goat demon and Crea—whom Lil also revealed to the authorities as an amalgamation of human body parts put together by Victor Flankenstein—were still welcome to go around Gray Village as they pleased to make Crea happy. Neither of them posed much of a threat even though Envi was an assassin, though it was a comfort that he wouldn't slaughter anybody regardless of whoever the individual was and what that person was like since that would've upset Crea. Of course, Daimonji still laid low for the time being and maintained his watch over the pair in case the authorities did attack them; that was understandable which was why he was allowed to do that unopposed. The guards still observed their movements as a precaution, though didn't act either because there was no threat from them—at least not yet anyway.

A tranquil air most of the population didn't know was absent for a time returned. Although they did know about Lil and the issues she was dealing with while being aware that the problems now involved the Gray Garden, many did not seem to know Satanick's assassins were in their world to begin with. Only very few, mainly the authorities and Macarona and Lil, were aware. They recognized what was likely an imminent threat being posed by the Gentleman Devil and the Devil's Kingdom, for many demons there would've supported their Devil even if they didn't know why he wanted to wage war against this world. All they would've likely cared about according to Lil and Kcalb was their greed, their desires for more wealth and power bearing fruit in the acquisition of land in this world—the entirety of the Gray Garden. They were not the only foes they had to worry about since Satanick's service to Warwick made the Black Market World a threat too. If they got their hands on this world, the Gray Garden surely would've been used for whatever purposes relevant to the black market that the two Devils would've thought of as it would've become a platform for their goals.

Comprehending that wasn't too difficult. Warwick's black market was outlawed by GriRea in all of the hells, yet Satanick maintained a secret chapter in the Devil's Kingdom just as other demons involved in the black market could have kept it alive in other underworlds. Uniting the various black markets in however many underworlds required much planning and patience, for the demons working within it would've done anything to prepare themselves for it. There could've been a rebellion in the underworlds, a revolution seeking to replant it as a legal means of business to improve the economy. Opponents, including Devils and Her Majesty herself, could've been assassinated to make that job easier. Underworlds were not the only front against them, however, for Warwick did have an agent on the Heavenly Council who spied on the other deities while providing divine aid. Capturing other heavens this way and seizing the Gray Garden were just additional objectives in acquiring more fronts to increase the scope of rebellion, its range, and resources too.

Unfortunately, hardly any solid, concrete evidence existed to prove such a notion true. Only oral testimonies made the suspicion real, though words alone were not enough. They wouldn't have brought much action, just official investigations into matters that would've been hidden by disposing of any and all evidence and tying up loose ends. What a conspiracy that made, however difficult it may have been to prove it as a legitimate threat against all of the worlds.

In any case, Macarona tried to push these concerns aside for the time being so she could focus on schoolwork. She was doing rather well copying down the methods and solutions written on the board and applying them to other problems that were similar. Different problems required a different strategy, though the young angel found it simple enough to utilize parts of methods for other problems when solving these. Macarona approached each problem with no worries, doing her best on her own and helping other students by her whenever they asked her for help which was okay because the teacher allowed them to help each other. Time passed at an average pace, and everybody including her were not concerned with anything that could've happened because they didn't expect anything to happen despite readying themselves inside for something unexpected. Everybody had experience preparing for unexpected complications due to the conflicts they got into against the Land of the Sun and Hastur, plus other incidents like the Project Dynol Peiriant Conspiracy and the Doppelganger Murders were still fresh in their minds even though those incidents happened a while ago. Still, it was an important lesson taken to heart by everybody even as they believed nothing too bad would happen right away because even horrible things like invasions took time to plan out, so they had time to defend themselves and others they cared about from such a catastrophe. Nonetheless, they knew and expected small things would happen.

"Macarona?" Principal Lesley called out to her just as the class was finishing up with their mathematics work.

"Yes?" the young angel responded politely, wondering why the principal wanted to see her. "What it is?"

"Someone's here to see you," he explained as she began to pack her things up for the next class she'd attend following whatever business was in store for her since Lesley's arrival in the class indicated that. "They say they know you, but I've never seen anybody like them," the demonic principal went on while she followed him into the corridor and towards the teacher's lounge where his office was. "They also mentioned they know Miss Lil too, so I think they're associates of hers. Since they're requesting to see you, I thought you might know of them too." Based on that remark, Macarona supposed it was Envi and Crea, guessing they were now seeking a tour of the school to satisfy Crea's curiosity.

She couldn't have been more wrong upon finding out whom it really was after she'd been escorted to the principal's office where she was surprised to find two men she'd never seen before in all her life. They were demons, one with pale white skin and purple horns that had curled prongs right at the very tip of them which went well with the indigo color of his eyes. He wore a black suit covering a white dress shirt, and a crimson bow of Victorian make attired his collar. Wing like appendages flowed from his black and red cape, the color scheme being very similar to his oxfords while his white gloves went with the shirt. His brown dress jacket hung over the chair he sat in. His compatriot, though similarly dressed in a suit that had a red, fluffy collar at the top, the same color as his cufflinks, was…odd. Mostly it was due to the gas mask covering his whole face, a radiation symbol Macarona was familiar with from her studies in Lowrie's alchemic chemistry course making it seem like he was a nuclear scientist. Although the young angel would've wrote them off as being simple tourists to Gray Village since they weren't from around her, the fact they knew Lil and that the demon with the gas mask was a goat demon indicated that wasn't the case. She knew of two goat demons, one of whom was Envi; the other was Yagi, whom she heard about from Lil. Macarona supposed this goat demon was him, making the other Satanick, the Gentleman Devil. Macarona didn't need to guess why they were here, for she already knew the motive.

"Here she is, gentleman," Principle Lesley told them while presenting the angelic girl before sauntering behind his desk to sit down. Gesturing for Macarona to take the other chair since the goat demon evidently wasn't going to seat himself as he rejected the principal's offer to take it, Lesley cast a glance at him to see if Yagi would sit now. There was a wooden bench available for him if he so choose to sit down too, but the goat demon still refused to claim a seat. His eyes were solely on Macarona, his crossed arms suggesting he was handling this in a professional manner, if somewhat strict and cold when doing so. It was not much of a disturbance, so Lesley began the meeting right away. "This is Macarona, one of our brightest students and—I should also add—a great heroine in our world for somebody as young as her. Is there something you want from her, Mr.—sorry, what did you say your name was, again?" he inquired, forgetting they hadn't provided their identities before which was why he was checking for some confirmation on that from the two demons.

"I didn't give it," Satanick reminded him, "but apologies for my rudeness. I've no business with you, sir; I'm merely here to see the angel you've brought as I requested." Turning to Macarona, he made eye contact with her and began to speak up now that he was addressing said angel. "So, you are the angel known as Macarona in this world?"

Macarona nodded, cautiously walking forward, thinking about what she'd say and how she'd say it. If she was correct and this was the Gentleman Devil, she'd have to guard her words carefully and say them in a manner in which they wouldn't come across as misconstrued. That would have most likely offended him and the goat demon. "Yes, my name is Macarona, gentleman. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance," she said, offering to shake hands with him.

"The pleasure is all mine, Macarona, I have heard great things about you," the Gentleman Devil responded in a cool tone, also guarding his own words in a diplomatic fashion. "The people of this world say you took down a Devil and stopped a conspiracy." Holding a book he'd been holding in his other hand up, he revealed it was a copy of hers. "An intriguing read so far, if I do say so myself. But that is only for the first several pages I glossed over while waiting for your arrival. Still, I do believe it may turn out well since you've begun with a strong start, so kudos for having me hooked."

"Thank you, sir," Macarona replied, having seated herself while he was talking. "Seems like you already know me, though I've yet to ask you gentleman for your names. If I may be so bold, might I inquire as to who you are?"

The Gentleman Devil held up a hand, shutting his eyes. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves, shall we?"

"Pardon, I'm afraid I don't quite understand what you mean, sir," she said honestly, though thought it had to do with Lil. Even so, she didn't voice this notion because she still wasn't entirely sure these guys were Satanick and Yagi and had come for the former's wife. "If you could be so kind as to elaborate, I can better comprehend what you're getting at."

"Young lady, do not exaggerate your ignorance. I know you know what I'm talking about, though perhaps you do believe otherwise because you haven't received all the details from us. Allow me to put forth one that shall enlighten you: we both know the same lady, Lil. That should simplify things, does it not?" he inquired rather…ominously.

"It narrows any ideas I might have about who you are down, yes," Macarona answered, aware the principal was watching this meeting with confused suspicion. Lesley still didn't know who these demons were, yet he too was now beginning to wonder what their intentions were and why they sought out the young angel. "You are associates of her, correct? People she knows you from her underworld or another one she's been too, right? Is that a correct assumption?"

"On the right track, of course, Macarona, we are indeed from her underworld," Satanick responded and then leaned forward suspiciously, almost as if he were going to deliver a threat to her. "Care to guess which one we're from?"

"Well, I've been to one before—two if counting the Flower World," the young angel said.

"But we're not counting the Flower World, are we? We're specifically referring to hells alone, not worlds that have fallen under complete control of the underworlds within them. In that case, you've only been to one, but not mine." The Gentleman Devil's remark demonstrated that he knew she never once visited the Devil's Kingdom because he would've heard about it. It was unusual and almost unheard of for angels from the Corporate Heaven to travel down there unless for negotiations and business; rarer still were foreign angels not from the Corporate Heaven. Whatever the case, Satanick would've been perfectly well aware of their presence in his hell because word traveled fast and he could sense their presence too. "And yet you've somehow met Lil and became an associate of hers. I don't care where exactly since that is not important. What is significant, however, is what she told you concerning us, so do not play ignorant."

"She's spoken to me of several demons from her underworld, the Devil's Kingdom, including its Devil."

"And she's given you the name of that Devil." It wasn't a question; it was a declarative statement he made.

"Yes, she said his name's Satanick and that he's her husband," Macarona confirmed that for him, beginning to realize she was talking to Satanick himself. Why he drew this matter out with a lengthy discussion as his introduction was beyond her, though the angel supposed it had to do with setting the stage for when he would reveal himself properly.

"Her 'dipshit husband' in her words," the Gentleman Devil said, raising a hand to politely silence Principal Lesley when he was about to speak up with a request to not swear in front of a kid with the only exception being for referring to underworlds as hells. "She certainly has a way with words and expresses herself quite honestly, if rather uncouth in her mannerisms of speaking. Why, it must be due to her upbringing in a lower class neighborhood where crime ran rampant and wasn't shunned or prevented by the municipal government because it relied on criminal thugs to suppress its population and encourage all sorts of crime and greed. Corrupt, so to speak, but a reliable means of order nonetheless because it was successful due to how civilization shaped the demons, their lives, and their culture as well."

Macarona frowned, having a bad feeling about this since her suspicions were proving to be correct. "Maybe."

"Maybe?" Satanick parroted that one, lone word from her.

"Well, in the perspective of whoever runs that society and determines its course of action it would. To another civilization that would be uncouth itself, a blight in their eyes because of the harm being done to the people living there," Macarona clarified, retaining a middle ground in this conversation by putting forth two different perspectives of what this material would come across as on national and international scales. "Granted, I phrased that bluntly and apologize for it."

"No offense was perceived, for none was intended or even present unintentionally, Macarona," he assured her. "Your statement, while blunt and a bit crude if I may say, accurately describes the matter perfectly. Though there is an additional concern, one you have not voiced yet with an inquiry into something else I had just mentioned now which can lead me to suspect you do indeed know more about what I'm speaking of than you are currently letting on, Macarona."

"With all due respect, sir, I could say the same of you; though permit me to ask what that concern is."

"How I know Lil grew up in a poor neighborhood defined by its lower class citizens and crime," Satanick said in response to her statement, granting her permission to know that by reminding her of it. "But yes, you are right that I too keep things close to the chest and am doing so now while we are discussing Lil. You might say this was a test of how much you understood whatever she informed you of so far, or you can say I'm giving context for the introduction."

"I could also say it is both," the young angel commented, hands folded across her lap. "Are you going to state your names now, or are we going to continue having this discourse on the subject of Lil furthermore. I apologize if I'm coming across as getting impatient, though I do believe we've reached a point where you both can introduce yourselves."

"Quite right, Macarona, though I've no need of speaking my name as you already know it. How about you demonstrate your intuition and deductions like you have for the Project Dynol Peiriant conspiracy? Lady's first, okay?"

Macarona steeled herself, feeling there was no other way to progress the conversation. The Gentleman Devil already demonstrated how well he knew of her, most likely from what he heard about her from his assassins. Simply entertaining his request now after a chat on Lil and the Devil's Kingdom was a tactic he employed. She knew he was Satanick and that his associate here was most likely Yagi, but pretending to be ignorant any longer would've been a detrimental hindrance to her because she discovered he was leading her to this moment. He knew she knew and had wanted her to speak their names rather than give them themselves. She had to admit he was good at speaking because of how skillfully he drew her into this trap—words helped make him a dangerous threat. Macarona took a deep breath, preparing herself for what she was about to say now that she was caught. "Very well, if that is what you wish, gentleman, I shall no longer beat around the bush now that you have brought it to a halt." Narrowing her eyes, the young angel was strengthening her conviction and came out with their names. "You are Satanick, the Gentleman Devil, and I presume your colleague is your Chancellor and Marshal, Yagi—if he would be so kind as to confirm that." Saying so, she cast a glance at him to check if her latter guess was correct as an uncomfortable silence fell upon the room and its occupants.

Satanick's most trusted subordinate simply nodded. "You are correct," he said from within his gas mask. It was the first time he spoke, and his words only added to the chill engulfing all of them. Of the four, only Principal Lesley appeared disturbed by this revelation and it worried him more that the other three were not even remotely concerned with what had been reached. He was about to speak up and politely demand to know what was going on when the sight of Yagi reaching into the folds of his jacket for a revolver which he purposely showed to him and Macarona silenced him. "If you know what's good for you, you'd hold your tongue," he addressed the principal in a threatening tone of voice. "You've already fulfilled your role as Mr. Satanick requested, now sit down and be good if you want an intact skull."

"N-now, just hold on a minute—" Lesley spoke up nervously, but was quieted when Macarona raised a hand.

"It is quite alright, sir, I can handle this and have it under control. They shall not kill anyone today, they are in no position to," she stated calmly, not wanting Yagi to use the gun against them while realizing he couldn't use it. Her demeanor impressed Satanick as he smirked, holding up his own hand to order his subordinate to not fire his revolver.

"True, you are correct, we aren't in a suitable position to spill blood. This is a high school, after all, and we're not even at war for that matter. Killing anybody here would set off alarms and red flags, initiating a war between our fair, respective civilizations," he explained while Yagi put the weapon back into his pocket. "An itchy trigger finger does nobody any good, regardless of which party they belong to. My apologies for the threat he just issued; he is cautious."

"With all due respect, Mr. Satanick, I don't believe a threat can be considered caution," Macarona disagreed.

"Quite right, indeed, it is jumping the gun if you'll pardon the pun and the rhyme as well," the Gentleman Devil uttered folding his hands together and getting right down to business. "So, now that we're all on the same page, I'd like to put forth my offering, Macarona. You let Lil know that she is to return to the Devil's Kingdom with me; we shall depart as well with the assassins and your world shall hear no more from us. We shall not bother the Gray Garden any further."

Macarona frowned grimly, having anticipated the bargain he wanted to make with her. "I can tell her you're here, though I know she'll refuse to return to the Devil's Kingdom. Besides, shouldn't you be discussing this with Miss Etihw and Mr. Kcalb?" she stated, wondering why he brought it up with her instead of them. Maybe he did, maybe he didn't; perhaps he had come to see her first because he knew Lil was staying with her rather than at Blancblack Castle.

"I should, yes, though Lil's with you which is why I sought you out instead," Satanick responded, confirming her thought. "Your leaders do not need to know about my presence in your world because it would be trouble to them. I'd much rather avoid being a bother to them when tensions are already high between us as a result of the demons I already sent here being discovered. That implies I'm here for Lil and also suggests I might want to invade the Gray Garden."

"Do you?" Macarona asked before she was startled by a shadowy arm that shot out of his jacket to seize her throat. The assault was unexpected, and it also shocked Principal Lesley too because this attack was considered to be both a threat and a brazen attempt to harm or kill Macarona. He would've done something to save her had Yagi not pulled his revolver out of his jacket again with lightning speed, pointing the weapon at him to keep Lesley where he was, but not firing upon him yet. Struggling to breathe as she was hoisted up, Macarona's eyelids trembled as she opened them.

"My, my, what a bold accusation, Macarona. And here I thought we could settle this peacefully," Satanick commented, the smirk never leaving his face. "I suggest you stay out of business that does not concern you. We have come before you as a gesture of goodwill with a fair proposition, and here you are now citing suspicions and accusations that have no basis or evidence to prove them. We do not appreciate that, but we can overlook this if you consider our offer and fulfill it without question or trouble. I needn't elaborate or clarify what shall happen if you don't by refusing." The shadowy arm dropped the young angel back into her seat as he stood to leave with Yagi while grabbing his jacket off the chair. "We must be going now, I do believe a visit to your leaders is in order anyway in case my not doing so comes across as…offensive while increasing those tensions I have cited. I do wish you a good day, Macarona, and a job well done on the book for which you have my compliments on." Saying so, he and the goat-like ram demon walked out with Yagi pocketing his revolver once again. Thankfully he did not have an itchy trigger finger; if he did, it had been nulled.

"My god; Macarona, are you alright?!" Principal Lesley asked in concern as he helped the young angel stand.

She breathed deeply, recovering from the severe grip Satanick had over her while watching the door he and Yagi walked out of on their way out. "I'm fine, sir," she murmured, feeling her throat to see how much it hurt. "I'm quite alright, all things considered." Her eyes were narrow, and she had difficulty believing that meeting was anything but cordial because of the direction it went in and how things escalated quickly when she asked if he planned on invading the Gray Garden. Macarona may have had doubts that he would, but her beliefs were now slowly becoming conviction.

…

 **A rather foreboding meeting between Macarona and Satanick, eh? Now that the Gentleman Devil himself has stepped into the fold, tensions are about to become a bit more intense. Apologies if you were expecting him and Macarona to come out and talk about what to do with Lil right away. I meant for it to be drawn out.**

 **Earlier in this chapter I alluded to calculus which is the study of change and features two disciplines of the subject which help explain it. I'm sure some of you may not like math—believe me, I don't either—though here's a bit of information on it and algebra. Calculus is believed to have been defined by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (July 1, 1646 – November 14, 1716), a German philosopher and polymath (an individual with expertise in numerous subjects and fields), and Isaac Newton (December 25, 1642 – March 20, 1726/1727), an English mathematician and physicist of the Scientific Revolution. It's more advanced than algebra and is utilized to solve problems in fields of engineering, economics, and science. The subfield of differential calculus is concerned with the rates at which quantities defined by calculus can change while integral calculus is the assignment of numbers to functions in a manner in which they can explain various concepts which emerge from uniting infinitesimal data. As for algebra, it basically unifies other branches of mathematics because it is the study of symbols and rules that define how symbols are utilized and manipulated. It was a product of Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi (c. 780 – c. 850), a Persian astronomer, geographer, and mathematician of Baghdad's House of Wisdom within the Abbasid Caliphate; and Omar Khayyam (May 18, 1048 – December 4, 1131), another Persian who delved into poetry and philosophy in addition to mathematics and astronomy during the Medieval Period. If you're interested in learning more about these scholars and these two fields of mathematics, feel free to check Wikipedia.**

 **Edit: Sorry I forget to mention this before, but I do not advocate for using or bringing guns into schools. It is highly dangerous and I seriously encourage people to think about what they're doing and consequences of their actions if they were to use and/or bring guns to schools or even think about it. These are things that should not be brought into schools because they're dangerous weapons and the people wielding them could harm others for whatever reason. The only reason why Yagi's using one in this chapter is because that's part of his non-canon character I've established in this story and the secret chapter of** _Atonement_ **. He has it since he's Satanick's second-in-command and will resort to such force in order to make others follow whatever rules Satanick has laid out. It also goes with the character of the Devil's Kingdom and what that hell's like from a non-canon perspective.**


	15. Chapter Fifteen: Negotiations

She was released from school early that afternoon following the meeting with Satanick and Yagi. Once the two men left, Principal Lesley headed over to the school nurse with her so the bruise on Macarona's neck could be healed and examined. Nurse Kendra analyzed it at once while the principal explained the situation and why the young angel got that wound. Granted, it wasn't really a wound so much as it was a bruise that simply left a mark. No cuts were present, but the nurse still healed her nonetheless and instructed Macarona to head home. Although she did request to continue with the rest of her afternoon classes, they insisted she leave to have some time off to recover from what happened. Macarona simply gave in and thanked them for their help, putting forth some details regarding the visitors they received which Lesley hadn't covered fully to better clarify the situation for them. He informed her he'd call Etihw and Kcalb at once to let them know the Gentleman Devil was now in the Gray Garden and on his way to see them now that he met Macarona.

The young angel sighed as she strolled home, reaching a hand up to feel her neck. The pain was gone thanks to Nurse Kendra, but the mark from that shadowy arm was still there. She could feel the remaining dark energy in it which had been left as an imprint on her in addition to a physical presence of its appearance. From how painful it was, Macarona guessed the Gentleman Devil used a bit of powerful black magic to harm her before. Thankfully it wasn't much, though she couldn't help but feel his assault was but a mere teaser of what he could really do, a sample to make her ponder on whether it would've been smart following his request or going against him. She was definitely going to tell Lil about his arrival in the Gray Garden, but knew her demonic friend wouldn't budge and return to the Devil's Kingdom with him. That was fine with Macarona, for she frowned in determination and steeled herself for opposing Satanick; she would not be intimidated by the Gentleman Devil, no matter how powerful he and his associates could've been.

It felt like another war was coming against another underworld, and she believed Satanick wouldn't pass up the opportunity to commit resources and funds into a full-scale invasion of the Gray Garden. Wanting his wife back was one thing; anything else he might've had up his sleeves in preparation for such a war was another. Simply seeking Lil back would've only required negotiations as he attempted to conduct with her instead of this world's Goddess and Devil. They weren't even present at all when they should've been. Satanick's initial decision to not meet with them first was quite suspicious in her mind, for it seemed like he was planning something behind their backs with them unaware, taking a risk meeting with Macarona because she could've called them about his presence. Principal Lesley would've too, and he certainly was doing so if he hadn't already done so—maybe he finished the call, or perhaps he was still having that conversation with Kcalb and Etihw. The Devil and Goddess would've found out anyway from them, meaning there was no avoiding a confrontation with them. The Gentleman Devil must've known that too, hence why he changed his mind.

Yet risking a war to reclaim Lil was not exactly beneficial to his cause. That alone wouldn't have garnered any support in the Devil's Kingdom unless he painted her as a traitor they needed to capture because she was giving away information that would've been beneficial to a heaven seeking to declare war on the underworld and seize it. Macarona didn't believe Fumus, the Smoking God of the Corporate Heaven would've taken the opportunity, though a another deity from a foreign heaven might've if given the chance to reclaim more territory since one world was already claimed by demons and their Devil, Warwick—she wasn't counting the Flower World because of what Liliya had done to Rosaliya. Whatever the case, demons of the Devil's Kingdom wouldn't have provided financial and military support for recovering Lil as they had no motivation to contribute anything. Their main reason probably would've been to keep her quiet and punish her as a traitor, though there were other purposes behind a potential war. They could've thrown in their support if they got something out of the conflict once they emerged victorious, like land, resources, slaves as prisoners of war, and wealth. With that taken into account as well, it was easy to comprehend why another war was looming over them.

Stretching her arms behind her head and resting them there until she reached her house, she then reached into a pocket to pull her house key out and unlocked the door after stepping onto the porch. She didn't expect it to be unlocked since she told Lil to keep it locked at all times even if she was in so nobody would break in and bother her. Macarona knew Lil was strong enough to handle whatever threats threatened her, but she was also worried about the demonic lady too. She didn't want Lil to get hurt, and her demonic friend was thankful for that—plus neither of them wanted a conflict in Macarona's house which would've caused damage to the property. Soa's assault on her home last year was still slightly fresh in her memory, though the destruction was repaired later. Even so, she and Lil wouldn't let it be destroyed again. "Lil?" she called out to check if her demonic friend was home and to let her know she came back from school early "I'm home!" she then added, hearing footsteps from the study and watching as the lady emerged through the threshold.

"Oh, Macarona, you're home early?" Lil inquired and stepped forth to greet her host with a hug. "I didn't expect you'd be back so soon. Did your school have a half day of sorts by surprise or something in recognition of some event?"

"No, I got out early by myself on what you could describe as a medical leave of absence," Macarona replied after returning the hug while setting her backpack down on the floor before taking her mary janes off. Raising a hand, she pointed at the imprinted mark of a handprint around her neck and let Lil examine it herself to understand the problem.

"What, someone assaulted you?!" the demonic lady murmured in surprise once she looked at the mark, standing upright and cracking her knuckles threateningly since she wanted to help Macarona beat some sense into her assailant. Whoever it was if it hadn't been Satanick would've been in for a surprise if he, she, or they didn't know she was a best friend of Macarona's—the Gentleman Devil would've most likely acknowledged it, taking it as her refusal to go back to the Devil's Kingdom. "Who the hell was it, Macarona?!" Lil asked, eager for a fight to avenge Macarona. "Just name the perp and we'll go beat the living shit out of him together if he doesn't wise up and apologize for hurting you!" Her loyalty and friendship were admirable, though the young angel felt she was a little too eager to acquire an apology.

"Your husband," Macarona answered as-a-matter-of-factly. "He came to the school to meet with me." Her mentioning of Lil's spouse made the demonic lady's eyes narrow in anger directed not at the angel, but Satanick.

"So, my dipshit husband's finally collected the nerve to waltz on into this world and demand I come back? He believes I'd willingly make the choice after what he's done and what he could do? Fat chance! My dipshit husband shows up and he doesn't bother giving two shits about seeing his damn wife! Thinks he can get away with it by threatening one of my closest friends!" Lil huffed, storming into the study followed by Macarona as the young angel tailed her. "Phooey! I'll show him what happens to those who hurt my friends! I can take his damn abuse and throw it right back at him, though involving my best friends crosses the line! Oh, he'll pay for this offense and I can guarantee it won't be cheap!"

"So, what'll we do?" Macarona asked and sat down next to Lil on the couch while the demonic lady raised an arm and gently brushed her hand over the angel's neck to absorb whatever remained of the dark energy in the mark. "He tried to evade meeting with Miss Etihw and Mr. Kcalb at first, but only went after changing his mind."

"What was his reasoning? To not cause trouble for them?" the demonic lady asked, demonstrating how well she knew her husband. "Oh, please, like hell he wouldn't. Circumventing them and dealing that blow to you isn't something they'd avoid once they receive word you've been assaulted by him. That's tantamount to war in anyone's book." Lil couldn't be more right about that since in several cases it was possible to spark a war over such a minor offense.

"A single offense like that feels a bit excessive, don't you think, Lil?" the angelic asked since she didn't believe that was the only factor that would spark a war between two different parties. Justice could've still been dealt, but an apology and further negotiations were all that was needed to circumvent the conflict. "I mean, I know your husband probably will invade if he sees value in a victory, but the risks are quite high. We're allies and friends of the Corporate Heaven governed by Fumus; that's also in the Pitch Black World. The Smoking God wouldn't allow him to fight us since that'd likely destroy commercial ties we have. Besides, I don't think Her Majesty would allow it either because she does seem to show a bit of respect for our world and would probably have to authorize the invasion first."

"True, though wars have been declared between heavens and hells without her permission," Lil elaborated on the point her friend made. "She'd certainly have to give her permission if she felt the wars would be beneficial to the underworlds, but she never has. Eventually Devils and other demons just stopped asking altogether when they became impatient. It's her responsibility to keep them restrained, though she doesn't. I mean, what Queen would not dare to act when her vassals are causing chaos she can avoid by restraining them? So far she's managed to keep them satisfied by being impartial, but sooner or later she'll have to do far more than just administrating the underworlds. They have autonomy and do pay tribute and serve her, but by not acting as a Queen, she isn't a Queen. You know what I'm saying, right, Macarona? Oh, and you are correct that Fumus would probably side with this world too for those trade ties."

Macarona blinked, wondering what Lil meant by that explanation of the Queen's duties. She knew GriRea was a kind of administrator as far as ruling the underworlds went, but to hear she hadn't done much to keep her Devils in line made it seem like GriRea didn't really care all too much about what they did so long as she could hold the throne. "I understand, yes, though you make it seem like there isn't much of a reason for her to even rule at all in my opinion."

"Really, huh? I guess you're right about that," the demonic lady conceded, putting a bent finger to her chin as she thought about what to do. "Perhaps she's just content to let them rule themselves so she can keep the throne which they're happy with. Lets them be their own kings and queens, so to speak; in which case she's essentially useless to them." Her latest remark begged the question of why they even allowed GriRea to maintain her position if she didn't use it much. Nonetheless it was a rather disrespectful matter that would've upset the Queen, so Lil simply dropped it and proceeded to consider their next move. "Anyway, my dipshit husband's in town and is going to be meeting with your leaders. We can't really stop him now, but at least we can still oppose him. There's no way in hell I'm ever going back, not until he allows me to have some more power beyond simply being his trophy and somebody who can entertain others in a limited capacity. I need to do more, I've got to stretch my wings. I can't just sit around doing nothing; that's way too boring."

"What if we were to follow Mr. Kcalb's idea?" Macarona asked her.

"Hmm?" Lil perked up at the mention of a thought this world's Devil proposed. "Come again, Macarona?"

"Remember when I brought you over to Blancblack Castle and we met him, Mr. Wodahs, and Miss Etihw? He said you could go to another world while negotiations are in order. You won't have to go back, and there's hope your husband might actually let you off the hook by giving you the power you seek. Maybe he might divorce you if that's an option he'll consider; then you'll never have to return to the Devil's Kingdom again. I'll even go with you to another world until negotiations are complete. How's that sound?" Macarona asked, checking with Lil to see if she approved of it.

The demonic lady smiled, putting an arm around her. "Maybe; we'll need to see how negotiations go first."

…

"Yes…I see…Really, is that so?" he asked over the phone, listening to the other speaker while Etihw finished writing a report and set in to the side where she would begin piling up all the work she finished—this report had the prestigious honor of being the first in that pile now that the Goddess was actually working. Sighing in frustration and exhaustion, irritated that she had to do more work and tired of having to do it and from writing up that report, Etihw crossed her arms and swiveled her chair towards Kcalb. Staring at him in the hope of boring a hole in his head which would've garnered his attention—rather painfully if laser beams or something shot out of her eyes—the Goddess took a deep breath and waited for him to hang up the phone. Gazing at his desk, she couldn't help but feel annoyed at how neat, tidy, organized, and clean it was; the Devil's desk was a paradigm of virtue as far as work ethics went compared to hers. Hers was sloven, disheveled, an absolute mess of papers stacked in a messy fashion if somewhat organized too.

"You know, Kcalb, you could help out with all this," the Goddess murmured just loud enough for him to hear her once he set the phone down. "You know I can't very well do all of it myself. How about you grab a few piles and—"

"Do your work for you?" he finished for her, not bothering to make eye contact with his rather slothful coworker. He had his own assignments to handle and was already organizing some of them into a pile off to the side. "Nope, I'm not your caretaker, nor am I subordinate, Eti. I've got my own work and you've got yours, now get back to work."

"You're not doing it," she retorted, watching him place a document he finished signing in a completed stack of files without taking another one from an incomplete stack—the only stack which was actually very low, consisting of just a few papers. "Look at how much you have," Etihw added, pointing to his pile, "and look at what I've got. See the blatantly obvious difference between yours and mine? Do you even realize it's your problem too, you know, Kcalb?"

"Sadly, yes, but do recall why that difference exists and who caused it in the first place," the Devil responded with a retort of own, one fashioned by logic and delivered in a bland tone devoid of any irritation. "Unfortunately, it appears your poor, atrocious work ethic isn't the only problem." He swiveled towards her, a serious gaze in his eyes since he knew something he was going to relay to her now. "Satanick's arrived, and only now is he actually paying us a visit."

Her eyes widened as Etihw processed this reveal in her head, pondering what the Gentleman Devil wanted. Aware he came for his wife since he sent those assassins to retrieve her and was taking matters into his own hands, the Goddess leaned back in her chair while deep in thought. "The Gentleman Devil, eh? So, he's finally come to take care of negotiations. I have to admit, I expected him to show up a little sooner than now. I just hope he comes straight away at once and doesn't bother any of the citizens." Seeing Kcalb place an elbow on his desk and rest his head in his hand, she felt there must've been more than he initially let on and was going to say. Etihw's expression darkened. "Don't tell me…"

"He already has. That was Principal Lesley of the high school He told us Satanick met with Macarona first and throttled her. Seems like he tried to circumvent a meeting with us and go right to the source where Lil's staying," he explained when Wodahs warped into the office to deliver a message to them. "I suspect that's them now, right?"

"Indeed," his younger brother remarked since he heard what his older brother said. "Shall I see the two of them in, or would you like me to inform them you're a bit busy at the moment so you two can prepare to meet them?"

Etihw shook her head. "No, Wodahs, let them in now. We must deal with the issue at once after what they did."

"Understood, shall I also send a couple healers to see if Macarona is alright?" the Head Angel then asked.

"Lesley informed me the school nurse already healed the pain, but that a mark was still on her neck from when the Gentleman Devil attacked her. I suggest you do just to confirm the mark isn't awful and won't be a problem," the Devil replied as Wodahs nodded and stepped over to the double doors. Confirming he understood the instructions, the Head Angel opened them and allowed the Gentleman Devil and his subordinate inside before departing the office to fulfill what his brother told him to do. Watching Satanick stride forward with Yagi at his side, Kcalb couldn't help but frown disapprovingly while crossing his arms and speaking up to address their guests. "Well, well, you've decided to come after all," he commented to them, letting the two men know he and Etihw had begun to expect their arrival at this point.

"Oh? The lovely receptionists down in the lobby called you despite my request for the meeting to be a surprise?" Satanick inquired, taking a seat across from the Devil he once referred to as a comrade. His tone towards Kcalb wasn't offensive because he was a guest showing gratitude towards his hosts for receiving him. Nonetheless he hid the cold displeasure at having to meet with a Devil he now considered a disgrace for having made peace with the Goddess of his world. "Come, why such hostility, dear Kcalb? You and I were once former colleagues, allies under Her Majesty, Queen GriRea. Surely you can nullify whatever tensions you might feel for me now for old times' sake, Kcalb?"

"We might've been associates, yes, but only out of necessity due to our status as Devils, her vassals," Kcalb clarified for him rather coldly, but maintained a dignified air about himself while politely elaborating the point. "You and I were never friends, Satanick, just colleagues for that reason. I must apologize for saying this, but I do admit I despise how you govern the Devil's Kingdom and did business with Warwick in his black market. A man of your status shouldn't be mingling with such criminal activity if you hope to maintain your office. Governing your underworld is one thing—"

"But colluding in illegal affairs is another thing entirely," the Gentleman Devil finished for him, hoping his lie would alleviate Kcalb's concern that he was still secretly working in Warwick's black market. This suspicion was also shared by Etihw from the looks of it, so hopefully the false statement worked in Satanick's favor. Holding a hand up to prevent Yagi from drawing his revolver like he had done at the high school, he sought to avoid another confrontation over his former colleague's rather blunt reply. "Do not worry, my dear friend, I assure you I'm still loyal as ever to Her Majesty. A shame you never enjoyed my company whenever I took the time to visit; I expected gratitude from you, though considering my policies and my past connections with Warwick, I understand the suspicion. Apology accepted."

"And just where's your apology, Satanick?" Etihw asked, wheeling her chair over to get involved too. "We heard you assaulted one of the students in the high school. Principal Lesley called just now and let us know what had happened. Mind explaining your actions behind that and why you chose to meet a student instead of contacting us?"

"Ah, that demon running the high school, I forgot to inquire for his name before we left," Satanick stated as he turned his attention to her. "He was the one who informed you of our presence?" The question was actually a rhetorical one from the tone of his voice. "A good man, one who knows his place quite well and is perfectly content in the position. The student, on the other hand…I must say, Miss Etihw—you don't mind me addressing you formally?—the students there are certainly intelligent. They clearly know how to connect dots, though in doing so they make assumptions that'll lead to erroneous conclusions not backed by hypothetical theories and evidence they believe to have gathered. Might I suggest you teach them to investigate all matters fully before voicing whatever notions brought about by false ideas they may say so as not to be misguided by their own deductions? It would help teach them to think before saying ideas."

"I suppose we should take that as an insult to the students instead of a suggestion," the Goddess retorted coldly, not trusting his words because she knew Satanick was using his silver tongue to mock the students. It might've sounded like a compliment, but it was actually a degrading insult. "But yes, you can address me formally since I'll not accept an informal manner of speaking to me or addressing me either." Etihw leaned forward, resting her elbows on the desk as she stared indifferently at the Gentleman Devil. "Why did you go to the school first instead of meeting us? Why assault one of the students there and then claim they make false assumptions without evidence supporting whatever theories they have?" Her inquiry went unanswered the first time, so Etihw made the demand again with a little more force in her tone this time.

"Oh, no reason, I was merely curious as to what the school system is like and thought I'd speak to its principal and request a meeting with any student he could find who had time to go over the academic principles driving it," the Gentleman Devil responded with a lie he knew they could see through because the principal already called them.

"Really?" Kcalb asked somewhat sarcastically despite maintaining a polite approach to the issue. "According to him, you spoke about Lil and negotiated for her return before attacking a student who simply asked if you did have any plans to invade our world once you brought up that implication. It was you opened the door, not her; she was worried you might want to attack the Gray Garden for whatever reason may serve as justification for you so the Devil's Kingdom can benefit from such a war. Now we'll pose the same question that student posed before you attacked her after attempting to negotiate with her for Lil's return: do you have any plans whatsoever to attack the Gray Garden by whatever means?"

"I cannot tell a lie; no, I do not," Satanick commented, aware these two wouldn't likely buy that.

"You expect us to believe you when you just downright lied in front of us just now?" Etihw raised the very suspicion he suspected they'd show. "Saying you can't lie when you've already done it isn't exactly reassuring."

"True, I cannot deny that for what you say is most true. It does discredit my integrity," the Gentleman Devil admitted freely. A quick glance at Yagi told the goat demon to keep his revolver concealed. Etihw and Kcalb looked at him too, aware he had a gun because Lesley mentioned that too. "However, I can assure you I can call off such an invasion right now. All you have to do is give my wife to me and I'll leave freely without a moment's hesitation. You won't have to deal with me and my underworld ever again and we won't cause trouble for you. That's all I ask for, really. It's such a simple request, no? Surely you can tell her she doesn't have a choice in the matter because I can just take her with your permission. Declining this offer I'm putting forth on the table means you'll have a war to fight."

"You expect she'll say no, but have no problem giving us the ultimatum because it's on our heads?" Etihw inquired accusingly, guarding her words carefully in spite of taking a stand against Satanick. "We're letting her stay, yes, but she'll not allow you to reclaim her. Besides, Lil made the choice to come here uninvited with us unaware at first."

"Because she has a friend in this world," Satanick added to clarify the matter via elaboration. "Somebody she met somehow and knows well. I don't care who it is despite already knowing the individual's identity, nor does it matter to me how they met. If you'll allow me to bring her back to the Devil's Kingdom, I shall see to it she's punished for drawing your world into a petty marital dispute she caused while calling off the war looming over your civilization."

Kcalb and Etihw both exchanged a glance to communicate with one another by way of the gesture. This was an offer they couldn't refuse for the sake of their world, yet they were not entirely trusting of the Gentleman Devil's word. His promise to spare them in exchange for Lil might've been empty for all they knew. Trading the demonic lady couldn't guarantee her husband would stay true to his vow. "How do we know you won't fall back on the promise?" the Devil inquired as they turned their attention back to Satanick. "You could still stab us in the back after retrieving her."

"Still don't really trust me, eh?" the Gentleman Devil asked them both rhetorically.

"Honestly, no," the Goddess answered him frankly. "If you claim you can order an end to whatever military operations you're preparing for a war with the Gray Garden, you'd better show us results. I don't mean a simple phone call in front of us; we want to actually witness your army standing down if it was already authorized to mobilize and prepare for war. A bit excessive if you ask me, but still necessary to ensure your promise is kept. Plus we also want to bring this matter to the attention of Fumus and Queen GriRea so they can restrain you from breaking that promise after we've departed from the Devil's Kingdom upon seeing your army step down. Surely you could agree to this if you are not planning anything suspicious and bear no motive to declare war? Unless, of course, you do possess motives."

"I could, yes, but is that much really necessary? You say it's excessive, though do you realize the scope of how much you're asking will go? Are you aware it could probably go further than what you may say now?" Satanick asked, making it seem like their request was suspicious—perhaps more so than whatever his own intentions were.

"You believe Her Majesty and the Smoking God may perceive it otherwise?" Kcalb pointed out, understanding what his old colleague was doing by inquiring about that. "You're saying they might think we're the ones causing any trouble and could have plans to assault or even declare war on the Corporate Heaven and all the underworlds, including yours by visiting your hell? That anyone we send may attempt to assassinate you or somebody else important like the Queen for instance?" He leaned back in his chair, hands folded in front of him. "I must say you've certainly thought that far ahead and considered that much. You've definitely put thought into how this meeting with us was going to go."

"Impressively perceptive, my old friend," Satanick complimented him, "seeing through my ploy. Though I'll freely admit I've said that on purpose for the very reason you've just described, there isn't any way you can prove it. You've got no solid, concrete evidence aside from this oral communication which alone is difficult to believe. I'll say something, you say something; a 'he or she said, he or she said' scenario, so to speak. Nobody'll believe our words as they're just that: words. Why, even having anybody to witness this conversation wouldn't do any good because any eyewitness testimonies may be wrong. Witnesses may: misread a situation by misinterpreting something they misheard and thus misunderstood which leads them to making mistakes when they're testifying. Quite unreliable, are they?"

"Just as they might've seen something that may or may not have actually happened," Etihw concurred on that point. "Witnesses may be unreliable, but at least whatever investigations are conducted could draw out more—"

"Evidence and eyewitness testimonies?" Satanick interrupted to finish the sentence. "That's if the investigations find anything noteworthy of what authorities conducting the inquiries are looking for. However—and allow me to raise the issue—evidence can be hidden and destroyed and witnesses can be silenced temporarily…sometimes permanently." Those last two words came out ominously in a foreboding tone of voice that made it seem like the Gentleman Devil was talking about how witnesses could've been intimidated to stay quiet or were given bribes to ensure they wouldn't reveal the truth…just as they could've been murdered. "There are implications of the sort you're thinking about in my words, but at the end of the day they're still just that: words alone. Even if they implied something, evidence is still required."

"You must have some measure of faith in action more than words," Kcalb commented on the Gentleman Devil's dialogue, aware that even words could cut deep. His expertise of the point was well-founded, for he had been subjected to cruel talk in the past while dishing it out too. Derogative perspectives of him as a Devil were only common back then because of the war between him and his demons and the angels under Etihw. Yet the custom was still present today in other worlds due to conflict between heavens and hells just as the words demons and Devils spread were still in use for the same reason. "Surely, Satanick, you do realize those very words you using right now are liable for suspicion all the same regarding the content you speak of? Anybody with authorities or a government could take them as treason."

"Only if the manner in which they're spoken draws suspicion as the attitude is wont of," Satanick responded, acknowledging the other Devil's point. "Even if the implications were there, they are unintentional. I simply seek to put forth a reminder of why words are not entirely faithful in many cases, but you're correct that actions speak louder than words. As I've already proposed a notion of war between us, it is an action that speaks loud even before it's begun."

"I can hear the sounds of future conflict with you and your demons already," Etihw uttered distastefully in opposition to the remark despite knowing it was possible Lil would need to be handed over to her husband at once if a conflict with the Devil's Kingdom could be avoided. "As much as I'd like to circumvent a war, I cannot in good faith place my trust in you calling a mobilization of your armies off when there is plenty for you and your demons to benefit from in declaring war upon us: territory, resources, and whathaveyou. Yet you do need to acknowledge the problems inherent within your decision as well: offending Fumus by threatening commercial ties we have with the Corporate Heaven and the risk of drawing attention from Her Majesty if she were to object to your declaration of war on us."

"I've no need to worry about either issue," the Gentleman Devil replied coolly to the Goddess' statement. "I can certainly do without the trade between my underworld and Fumus' heaven which also supplies the hell with products from other heavens. Even if my demons were to complain, I have ways of acquiring other goods that'll satisfy them. Besides, Her Highness shan't do anything to stop me even if I were to declare war and she became aware of it. There's nothing stopping me from making the decision aside from self-restraint…that is, unless you do not return Lil to me."

"Point taken, but what other ways besides trade with the other underworlds do you utilize to satisfy demons in your underworld:" Kcalb inquired suspiciously before answering his own question with an idea, "the black market?"

"You wound me, my old friend," Satanick spoke as if he were offended when he really wasn't. "I'm clearly not the underhanded sneak you take me for. I have class and honor as a Devil. My reputation as a loyal vassal of the Queen isn't something to be insulted so lightly. Why, she resides in the Devil's Kingdom, after all, not Vicers' hell."

"Because that is where her home is, it's where she grew up," Kcalb responded logically, very familiar with the royal family's history since he studied it thoroughly even though some of the more extensive details were not known to him. Yet although he was no longer a vassal of GriRea, he still spoke up to defend her on her behalf even if the point was a minor, insignificant one to drive forward. "You may be the Devil who governs the Devil's Kingdom on her behalf, but Vicers is still the Devil of All Devils and her most trusted vassal in addition to being one of her strongest nightblades."

"True, I'll concede that much," Satanick accepted defeat on that minor front of this discussion. "Though allow me to put forth something that may be considered food for thought. If he's the Devil of All Devils, why is Vicers not in my position? Why does he reign in an underworld far from the Devil's Kingdom, but closer to Deities' Circle, hmm?"

"One, that is the world he was born in as Justim's twin brother. Two, Deities' Circle and Devil's Circle are civilizations of the Mirrored Circle World," Etihw said since apparently the Gentleman Devil had to be reminded of these reasons. He might have been aware of them, but evidently he said that since Satanick wanted it to be mentioned. Most likely his reason was to demonstrate how close in proximity he was to GriRea despite not being a close vassal in her court of Devils loyal to her. "Let guess, it's your home too," she added, now referring to the Devil's Kingdom since she suspected Satanick grew up there too. Kcalb would've known, though she didn't because he never mentioned it; just his distrust of Satanick and how he disliked the Gentleman Devil because of his legislative policies and ties with Warwick.

"Indeed, I am in fact a born resident of my underworld which is the reason why Her Majesty saw fit to assign administration and governance of the Devil's Kingdom to me as I have the most experience in handling it whereas the other Devils are all residents of their respective hells. The same went for you too, Kcalb, back when you served her."

"Very true, yes, but I'm sure there is a reason why you're bringing up Her Majesty when we're negotiating over the return of Lil to the Devil's Kingdom," the Gray Garden's Devil remarked, pulling apart the words his old colleague was using since he suspected Satanick had plans for something big and unlawful regarding laws drafted as legislation by Her Majesty. "You are still involved in the black market and you are also a party to a conspiracy of sorts against Her Highness, yes? No need to deny it, your words are implication enough. Then again, in your words, they're just words."

"Actions speak louder than words, mind you," Satanick reaffirmed the fundamental concept he already put forward. "I'm truly offended you would think such a thing of me, Kcalb." He held a hand up to keep Yagi restrained because he didn't want his Chancellor and Marshal to display his itchy trigger finger in retaliation against the remark Kcalb made. "Here we are, negotiating for my wife's return to the Devil's Kingdom, and you two are suggesting ideas I have no involvement in. Why, the thought alone is disrespectful, a disgrace you both are partaking in because you don't trust me to keep my word that a war won't take place if Lil is brought to me so I can take her off your hands."

"Bear in mind what you've done at the high school is a disgrace in of itself," Etihw chided him sternly in a cold tone of voice. "Our distrust of you isn't fueled only by that; we also know what you are capable of and know you've supported Warwick's black market while serving as an active participant. We might not know to what extent you assisted his endeavors and business, but at least we are aware of that much. Besides, you did open the door once again."

"I agree with Eti," Kcalb concurred with her. "You've come here saying you'll go to war just to reclaim your wife. Although you have not used the words or allusions to Her Majesty, the implications you put forth are there."

"That's your final decision, eh?" Satanick asked rhetorically. "You'll place your judgment in simple words?"

"Simple words that convey what your intentions likely are, and also what we already know about you," the Goddess stated now that a decision in the negotiations was reached. "I'm sorry, Satanick, but you'll not receive her back. Lil would not dare go even if we tried to drag if we did agree to your proposal. However, the fact you might still turn against us afterwards even if we were to comply with your request is still uncertain. We may change our minds if you're going to show us tangible evidence that is concrete and solid, but we have to see it with our own eyes first before making the decision. Even so, your suspected backstabbing is a cause for concern we can't ignore. That is the best we can do because it is the farthest we'll go in determining whether or not we'll agree to your request." Etihw folded her hands on Kcalb's desk as he did the same, letting Satanick take in their decision and process the information they put forth.

They watched the Gentleman Devil close his eyes for a bit, pondering to himself on whether he'd accept the terms they offered or refuse them. Either way they still couldn't trust him to stay true to his word. Nonetheless, Satanick placed a bent finger to his chin since he seemed to actually consider their proposal. "Hmm…" he murmured silently, thinking over their response to his request. Neither Kcalb or Etihw appreciated the threat, but understood it was within Satanick's options if he really wanted Lil back so badly. Eventually he opened his eyes. "Tell you what: I'll think over your terms for a while and then return with my answer after weighing the consequences of all actions that may be taken. How does that sound? Is this not a fair response even after all the mistrust and suspicions I've had to endure today?"

"It is, but your answer better not come with an armed military force knocking on our door," Kcalb remarked.

"Otherwise we shall defend our world to the fullest," Etihw added, "and in the event you are planning some invasion of sorts against us, we shall be mobilizing our forces at once to be prepared for a war you'd probably initiate."

"My, what a guarded stance you're taking towards our diplomatic negotiations," Satanick taunted her.

"Perhaps if we had any basis to trust you, our response wouldn't be so tense," the other Devil commented to try and set him and Yagi at ease by helping them understand the position he and the Goddess were taking. "Don't get us wrong, Satanick, we don't wish for another war to erupt in our faces. Unfortunately, we've been involved in quite a rather small handful of wars ourselves, one of which was between us in the past. You must understand the position we take for the sake of our world and the peace we've established for our respective angels, demons, and Nephilim too. Conflict's nothing more than an antithesis to peace and it is very harmful to all who are forced to suffer the cruelties and bloodshed such carnage is capable of causing. We want to avoid it, but past experience and recent affairs have demonstrated otherwise which is why we must be prepared for any and all threats to our world of peace, including those you pose."

"Certainly, I can comprehend the feeling, alright," the Gentleman Devil murmured aloud for them to hear. "I cannot say the same for other Devils who view your actions as treasonous and heretical to the natural order of angels and demons, however, for they're free to agree or disagree as they choose. But know this:" he went on while standing up, "sooner or later Lil shall be within my grasp once more, and I shall endeavor to make sure she doesn't cause trouble."

…

 **Tensions sure are swelling between the Gray Garden and the Devil's Kingdom. If you thought these negotiations were just the tip of the iceberg, you'd be right. What lies beneath is still waiting to rise to the surface.**

 **The name I've given to Vicers' underworld and the world he and Justim inhabit allude to the fact they are opposites, but there is also another purpose for it which shall be delved into in a future Gray Garden story. Regarding their relation as twin brothers, it's something I thought of because it kind of makes sense for there to be some kind of familial relation between them. Their wikia pages say they can't stand one another, but neither could they live/exist without the other either. This implies to me they share some kind of connection, and although one could make the argument one of them is a doppelganger of the other or that they're both doppelgangers of each other, I thought I'd go for a brotherly connection instead as a representation of the duality they both share.**


	16. Chapter Sixteen: Unwanted Guests for Pie

"Mm, this apple pie is so scrumptious, Dialo! Truly a masterpiece of exquisite perfection!" the demonic lady complimented the younger demon on her latest accomplishment: yet another apple pie. Specifically one baked from the stacks of apples Macarona and Lil brought over the other day after Envi and Crea left the former's home. Merged with apples Yosafire collected with Froze—usually a dozen of dozens, more than the actual number required—it filled a second fridge Dialo and Chelan had in their house which they purchased specifically for apples. Knowing Yosafire always gathered too many helped because they knew the apples would eventually expire and turn rotten. It was the very reason why they got an extra fridge and made room for it in the basement. "You really should share your secret recipe!"

"If I had one," Dialo murmured while enjoying her own slice of the pie, eyes briefly fluttering over to several others she baked in a short amount of time. Those were the ones made from the other apples Lil and Macarona had as well. The rest she imagined, having not gotten to the amount produced from the ones Yosafire came over with when she'd gone apple picking with Froze. "Though, it's simple apple pie, I do have a rather 'forceful' way of cooking."

"You should see it, Lil," Yosafire mentioned as she took a bite of her slice, chewing first and swallowing before speaking up again to continue. "She practically slams it all into the pan and heats it up with a powerful fire spell." Her arms outstretched carefully so as not to hit Froze or Chelan while she performed her gesture. "Boom, instant apple pie."

"In one go?" Lil inquired curiously, interested in how fast Dialo could make pastries and other kinds of food.

"Pretty much, she stacks everything in one hand and slams it all into the pan, applying magical energy to instantaneously bake it by converting that energy into fire that engulfs her whole hand," Yosafire explained.

"Wow!" the young creation said in her seat across from Yosafire, in between Envi and Macarona. Amazed at how quick and powerful that style was, Crea began imagining just that in awe of Dialo. Her mind conjured up images playing in her head like a film, showing her the motions the older girl performed when cooking and baking. She felt that was a super power, an ability unique only to certain individuals like Dialo. According to her fantasies at least, but these were blended into the reality she knew growing up in Castle Flankenstein with Victor Flankenstein and Envi being the only family she ever really knew. There were others like Kumori and Rogi, though they were too busy with work and hardly interacted with Crea because they were usually conversing with Envi back at the castle. She didn't know what subjects and topics they discussed, only that her caregiver had to meet with those two and others at times. Crea had no idea what they wanted; she was unaware she'd been created from human body parts. Crea didn't know why she was made too, believing she had a mother she never met. She never knew the truth, nor did she ask for it; but she was still happy.

Looking at her as she thought about that, Macarona wondered how Crea might've taken the information if she discovered the truth. The young angel liked Crea and hoped she wouldn't feel too bad because she had Envi in her life. Victor Flankenstein was absent, dead. The little creation didn't know that either. She would've been devastated if she heard he died and that he made her from human body parts likely acquired by robbing graves or morgues for them. Macarona couldn't help but feel worried about her, knowing how much it'd break Crea's heart to learn all that. It was a tragic lesson, a harsh reality Crea may have faced in the future. There was still hope she wouldn't learn it so she could live a happy life free of worries and fears, enjoying life just as anyone else would've in her own way. Hopefully it'd last.

"You're like a living oven and stove, Dialo!" the younger girl remarked cheerfully, giggling softly since she favored that comparison and thought it was a bit funny thinking of the older demon as a kind of cooking utensil.

"I'm not that immaterial," Dialo responded, not offended in the slightest by Crea's remark. "There are other things I cook. My method's for simpler things when I don't have much time to or when we prefer something quick."

"To be fair, there aren't many instances when you'd need to use it besides making dinner," Froze commented casually with Chelan humming in agreement with the statement. "At most, I'd say your method's utilized on a more frequent basis than the stove and your oven. Though you are a valuable friend all the same, that much is quite true."

"Hey, don't be mean to Dialo, Froze!" Yosafire spoke up on behalf of her other friend. "She's needed for other things too: like study groups for school, piano playing, hanging out…" The list would've gone on, but Envi spoke up since he realized she'd be going on forever and decided to cut the explanation short to save Yosafire's voice for her.

"Boy, you girls are quite a tight-knit group of friends," he complimented them on how close they all were. "Seems like a pretty nice union you've formed among yourselves to last for as long as you're all together in life."

"Thanks," Macarona replied gratefully, liking the remark as did everyone else. "We've known each other for quite a while and have grown quite close since we first met when we were younger about several years back."

"I see," the goat demon commented in response, making eye contact with the angel. "Crea and I appreciate the invitation to join you for apple pie. She's been looking forward to it since this past weekend and put it on a list of things to do while we're in your world. She's also been reading your book and enjoys it for the suspenseful thriller it is."

"I'm glad she likes it," the angelic author said, happy to hear she made a fan out of Crea. Whether the young creation liked any additional books Macarona wrote—if any; _Dynol Peiriant: Portrait of a Conspiracy_ was the only book she wrote so far—was yet to be determined. Bringing up her manuscript reminded her of how far she came when it was being written. There were several chapters on: what the White Heaven was like and how Clarabella's Museum made contributions to its society and fit into it as well; individuals involved in the conspiracy, what they did, and how they impacted Project Dynol Peiriant; how the project developed over time and affected society up to the present day as it became a conspiracy; and how it was stopped by Macarona and Crona. It was quite a lengthy manuscript, and during production the original title of the book, _Seven Nights at Clarabella's_ , was changed to what it was now known as. The old title still remained as a subheading for one of the chapters, specifically referring to the week Macarona spent working as a part time night guard in the museum. Writing and editing the book were skills that came naturally to her, for she had no problem turning it into the bestselling account her book became. "A shame Crona, Rawberry, and Raspbel couldn't join us today. They had to get to other business of theirs, but I'll have introduced you two to them some other time."

"Ah, the girls of The Auburn Tulip?" Envi asked, showing he was aware of them and had met them. "I brought Crea to that little shop on Monday in the afternoon. I remember Crona from Sunday and she told me she worked there with those other two. Crea enjoyed browsing the wares and wanted some flowers they had on sale that day."

"Ah, how sweet," Lil murmured, finding it adorable how the goat demon gave her flowers. "You know, I admire that in a guy like you; always willing to please someone you care about." Nobody needed her to elaborate on that; the demonic lady already informed Macarona's friends about everything regarding what she and the young angel were involved in. They were surprised and worried, but trusted Lil and Macarona knew what they were doing even though it was dangerous. The pair certainly did handle the problem well prepared for anything that could've threatened them.

"Thank you, but sorry; I'm afraid I'm not interested in romance," the goat demon said politely, giving a nice smile to show he wasn't rejecting her. Envi was aware she was married to Satanick and would not dare make a pass on Lil even if she wasn't. His duty was to Crea first under the orders of Victor Flankenstein, not to himself. Although he could've done something different for himself sometimes, he liked taking care of the young creation and preferred for nothing to stand in the way of that responsibility. He was all Crea had left, and she didn't know the doctor was dead.

"Nope, not hitting on you or anything," Lil chuckled, making the little girl blink in confusion as she wondered what the demonic lady was referring to. Obviously Crea knew nothing about how people interacted when it came to romance even though she knew of the concept from bedtime fairy tales Envi would read to her. Lil caught sight of the reaction Crea displayed and continued giggling. "You'll learn about it when you're older," she said, ruffling her hair.

"All kidding aside," Dialo murmured to change the topic, "I heard somebody visited the high school today."

"Yeah," Yosafire commented while Chelan simply hummed as they pondered on the visitor's identity. "I don't know who exactly, but a lot of the other kids were mentioning they saw two gentleman in suits stroll in to speak with Principal Lesley. Isn't that why you were brought in, Macarona; because they wanted to speak with a student and get a tour of the school?" None of the other girls in their group were aware of it, but the visitors were actually none other than Satanick and Yagi. Macarona and Lil had not told them that yet because Crea was here, but they suspected Envi's possible involvement in the affair as one of the assassins. Even if he had not informed the Gentleman Devil of the high school Macarona attended, his presence here could have suggested he was watching the pair for Satanick and might've contacted him to invite Lil's husband over by using the apple pie as a cover story for Satanick's arrival. Unless Anten or Daimonji—perhaps both of them—were handling that instead, Envi would not have called the Gentleman Devil even though he was still working with them. That was why he was still regarded with some suspicion despite being accepted.

"Oh, they didn't have time for a tour, but I did speak with them," Macarona commented with a wave of her hand, not telling them who the visitors were just yet so Crea wouldn't get upset if she somehow discovered Envi was working for a Devil who threatened to go to war with this world. "They were foreigners from another world who had taken an interest in my book, but couldn't quite make it to Sunday's venue where I was signing copies of it. They didn't request an autograph, though, but they did ask questions and pose inquiries about our world's schooling system." Lil knew this was a cover story her angelic friend was feeding them, hence why she didn't speak up since doing so would have revealed she knew her spouse went to the high school and attacked Macarona. Wanting to come across as not being aware of that, the demonic lady did her best to seem interested in the topic. Apparently she had expertise showing other people the interest they thought they were getting from her, for nobody questioned her about it since they probably believed she was hearing this for the first time. Lil could've been as bored or aware as she wanted to while feigning interest in any subject, including this one. Her mastery of this trick was impressive and fit the image of a court politician—albeit one without power due to the restrictions on women in the Devil's Kingdom—who knew precisely what to say and how to act when interacting with others. Macarona had to admit her friend was a great schemer with good intentions.

"Oh, I see," Froze said while she and others were processing this information. "That doesn't explain why you left early." Her comment presented a dilemma, an issue over why the other angel wasn't at school for the rest of the day.

"Yeah, I heard you had to leave right away after that," Yosafire added, further complicating the problem. "Was there something you had to handle early, like going to a doctor's appointment or something? Is that why you left?"

"Ah," Macarona uttered, aware of their suspicion and confusion. She knew there had to be an explanation she could've thought up to satisfy them. The young angel expected they'd ask, but still hadn't thought of anything worth saying to dispel all notions of suspicion so they could continue enjoying this little get together over apple pie. Macarona was about to come up with something on the spot and a momentary glance at Lil for aid which the others hadn't seen would've helped her. Fortunately, the doorbell suddenly rang to interrupt the conversation as Dialo stood up and went out into the foyer to answer it. Although the angelic girl would have breathed a sigh of relief at being literally saved by the bell, Macarona didn't to avoid further suspicions onto her and Lil for not having mentioned it sooner. The only reason why they hadn't was Crea's presence, yet an additional unfortunate complication arose when whoever was at the door just stepped right in without an invitation. Macarona and Lil managed to contain their reactions at the sound of his voice.

"Good day, young lady, I hope you and your friends are having a pleasant afternoon on this fine day."

The two of them still withheld from acting coldly reserved. Satanick arrived; from the sound of another pair of footsteps, Yagi was most likely with him—unless it was either Daimonji or Anten. Yet the sight of the older goat demon disproved that latter notion when he followed the Gentleman Devil inside wordlessly, hands in his coat pockets, while Dialo protested against their coming here. "Yes, thank you, but excuse me, gentlemen. This is a meeting between friends who were invited over. I'm sorry, but you the two of you have not been sent invitations to join us for some apple pie."

"Oh, my apologies, didn't Envi inform you of our coming?" Satanick asked her politely, feeding her a lie.

"No, he has not," the young demon responded to him, the conviction in her voice present from knowing the other goat demon she did invite hadn't mentioned anybody else would've been coming over. "And if he had extended his invitation to you, he would've let me know beforehand so I'd know you were coming and would be expecting you. Because he has not, I am afraid I must kindly request you gentlemen to take your leave if you would be so kind."

"He has not?" the Gentleman Devil responded with a rhetorical inquiry. "Why, I'm sure he neglected to inform you by accident since something else of crucial significance may have occupied his mind at the moment. Why don't you ask him now, Miss…?" he asked, the end of his question forming as a request to know Dialo's name as an introduction.

"Dialo," the young demon gave it willingly, unaware he was actually the Gentleman Devil. "Why don't you introduce yourself and your companion to me before I ask so I can confirm if Envi does indeed know you two?"

"It's alright, Dialo," Envi called out to the foyer to clear up the confusion. "They're associates of mine. I haven't invited them over, but they're alright and are welcome all the same." He had not known the Gentleman Devil would be showing up at the other demon's house, but figured one of the other two assassins let Satanick know they were here. Wishing he had a moment alone with Lil and Macarona so he could clarify that he really didn't know Satanick would arrive, he put some thought into thinking about how he would do that. Isolating the girls with his superiors along with himself into one area where they could communicate freely without the others catching on to what they were getting into was going to be tough. Luckily he expected Macarona and Lil would figure out a way too to achieve the same effect.

"Hmm…very well," Dialo consented to his permission and let Satanick and Yagi walk right in. There were empty chairs near the dining room table which they could've claimed for themselves. The Gentleman Devil took one, though the older goat demon just leaned against the wall instead of seating himself. The fact Yagi still wore his gas mask made him quite guarded in a suspicious manner as Dialo was quick to bring up with her request for their introductions. "I'll allow you gentlemen to stay, but do please remove the mask and tell us your names. That mask is not exactly what one would wear to a friendly gathering such as this, especially with the symbol for radiation on it that denotes you work with poisonous alchemical and chemical ingredients. It's scary and worrying if you're visit here involves such work in some way that may be harmful to us. If that were a respirator of some kind and the symbol was merely painted, I'll allow it for your sake so you can breathe easily; but I'm unsure if it's really necessary since this world's air is clean to breathe."

"It's an oil proof P one hundred that filters about ninety-nine point ninety-seven percent of particles within the air; it's also resistant with the very same specs," the Gentleman Devil commented, fabricating a lie so Yagi wouldn't have to remove it. "He painted the symbol on it because he is a chemist whose lungs have been harmed by the substances he deals with. You're correct, it does look like a gas mask; that's just how respirators are made in our underworld. I can assure you we haven't brought any such substances or chemicals of any kind over to respect your safety and the safety of others. Such work can be harmful to the populaces, true, which is why we never travel anywhere with it. Leaving it all behind protects us and other people, plus it decreases the burden we'd have to carry so we wouldn't get too over encumbered by the stuff."

Dialo wasn't sure if she'd buy that—the others might not have either—but she figured she'd allow the mask nonetheless. "Fine then, though I'm still requesting you introduce yourselves so we can know how to address you."

"Oh, you may simply address me as you would any associate, particularly one of Envi's," Satanick replied.

"That does not hold because we do not know you even if Envi does," Froze commented to support Dialo because she too was getting suspicious of these guys. "You were asked to introduce yourselves and have not done so." She raised an eyebrow, eyeing them with a suspicious gaze she turned upon Envi as well. "Unless you would care to put a couple of names to these faces, Envi? They are you're associates, according to you, is that right? You did say that."

"I know them, yes," the younger goat demon spoke up to deflect the suspicion off of him. "Though like now, they have never introduced themselves beyond simply explaining what they did. They never named themselves, nor mentioned where they work. Still, they seem to be a trustworthy sort from what I've heard from others and they haven't failed to deliver on anything they agreed to do." While his comment was meant to do just that, the last part of it was a warning hidden within the statement. He made it obviously clear to everyone that the Gentleman Devil was not somebody to be trifled with and would certainly commit to his end of the bargain. Yet he would also hold up his end of a declaration of war as well. Envi didn't know if Satanick would truly stab somebody in the back after making a deal with the other party, but he hoped his message was communicated in a clear fashion. If they were to oppose him, they'd be in for a war with his underworld. The only problem he raised was not saying he heard their names from other demons.

"Is that so, eh?" Froze murmured, not buying his lie for that reason when Yosafire patted her on the shoulder.

"Come on, Froze, they're guests," the demonic girl uttered in support of letting them stay. "If they'd prefer keeping their identities secret, why not just let them so long as they don't cause any trouble. Maybe it's a privacy thing with them, you know? If they're not from around here or aren't from the Gray Garden at all, they might be foreigners who have not fully placed their trust in the peace our world has established. We can assure them it's a legitimate peace."

"You're ignoring other reasons why they may be here!" Froze retorted, trying to make her see common sense.

"What reasons?" Crea asked, unaware of what they were talking about. "Why don't you trust them? Envi does."

"Ah, Crea," Dialo spoke up and took the little creation's hand in her own. "Why don't you come into the living room with us? Chelan and I have a couple musical instruments if you'd like to hear us play." Her offer was tempting, and apparently it worked because the young girl cheered happily and hopped down from her chair, letting Dialo lead her away. "Come on, I'll show you them," she said and directed her attention to Chelan. "Chelan, would you join us?" Her angelic housemate nodded with a hum of approval and went along too with Yosafire following after them as well.

"Ooh, I'd love to hear you girls play some tunes!" she expressed joy at the show being presented. "If Macarona and I brought our guitars, we could all form a little band right about now." Turning her head as she departed the dining room, Yosafire addressed her and the others too. "You all coming, or what?" she asked, seeking a reply from them.

"No thank you for now, Yosaf, I'm going to finish my pie," Froze responded while taking another bite of her slice just as the Gentleman Devil cut a slice for himself and cast a glance upon the other pies Dialo had baked today.

"We shall remain as well," he spoke up on behalf of both himself and Yagi before making a casual comment about the pies. "My, Dialo sure makes quite a lot of pies, doesn't she? She must buy quite a lot of the ingredients."

"Mainly because Yosafire always brings too many apples," Froze stated to end that conversation.

"Macarona and I shall be staying as well to finish our slices too," Lil added as the other four left the room. As it was just her, Macarona, and Froze with her husband and his two subordinates, they could initiate a quiet discussion on why the Gentleman Devil had come here and why he attacked Macarona before. She would've preferred for Froze to head out too for her own safety, though the young angel was a member of the castle's staff and could relay anything important back to Kcalb, Etihw, and Wodahs. That was probably why Froze stayed behind as she and Macarona suspected, though they knew Froze would be surprised by at least some of what they would be talking about. "Now then, shall we not beat around the damn bush any longer, dipshit husband," she hissed in a quiet tone of voice, directing all the anger she felt at him. "Of all the things you could do knowing I'm in this world, you choose not to see your damn wife first. Instead you dawdle about elsewhere trying to make me come back with you. Newsflash: I'm not going back."

"Let me guess," Froze murmured, also lowering her voice. "He's Satanick, the Gentleman Devil." Her guess was correct as Lil and Macarona nodded. Froze didn't really need confirmation; the demonic lady's allusion to Satanick as her dipshit husband was all that was required for her to deduce his identity. "So, he's finally showing himself now…"

"And that's Yagi, his Chancellor and Marshal," Macarona piped up to introduce the older goat demon. She would've elaborated by explaining further that she met them before at school where they threatened her and this world. Yet the Gentleman Devil beat her to the punch instead by putting forth further—repetitive—confirmation of his identity.

"Yes, you girls are correct; I am Satanick, the Gentleman Devil, and he is Yagi, my Marshal and Chancellor."

"Duly noted that you've finally decided to introduce yourselves properly," Lil hissed again, glaring at him in rage. Her eyes were like daggers sharpened to pierce everything of her spouse—his whole body, his heart, his spirit, and his brain. "Mind explaining yourself, dipshit husband? Why don't you tell us why you're really here this instant?"

"Why get straight to the point?" Satanick asked whimsically. "It's a meeting between friends, after all."

Lil growled viciously, hating his snide tone. Seizing the collar of his suit, she wrenched him forward and leaned in to jab a finger at him. "Like hell you're both friends of ours!" her fury boiled into her words. She despised how he was using what Dialo had described a couple minutes ago to try and portray this as the friendly gathering it was meant to be. Now that her spouse was here, it was no longer that friendly gathering; now it was a heated dispute. "I shall not accept anybody who refuses his wife's requests, runs our underworld into the ground, and attacks _MY_ friends as friends of ours! You have no right to do as you please in this world, threatening the Gray Garden with war just to get me back! I've already said my piece to you, now piss off and leave us alone!" Releasing him, she didn't care that he was unfazed by her conduct just now. All she wanted was for him to leave so she and her friends could enjoy the rest of the day in peace.

"Sorry, I'm afraid I cannot do that," the Gentleman Devil apologized. "I just came from Blancblack Castle."

"And why not?" Froze inquired, demanding to know why he couldn't just let Lil stay here unbothered by his designs while he went his own way. "Surely you won't waste anything significant over a petty marital dispute."

"Oh, believe me, Froze, he can," Lil reminded her that he could've so long as the Devil's Kingdom was good with the decision and whatever sacrifices were made so long as that hell could benefit from a war. "He certainly can."

"Did you attack Lady Etihw and Lord Kcalb? Are they and Mr. Wodahs alright?" the young angel asked, ignoring the remark to get right down to business by first checking on the safety of her superiors in Blancblack Castle. "What did you negotiate with them if you have already gone over and informed them of your presence in our world?"

"Oh, they're fine, alright," Satanick assured her. "Simply put, I just went to request they give my wife back and threatened to declare war if they turned down my offer: return Lil and avoid the war. I haven't even harmed them."

"Yet," Macarona added now that she was getting involved in the debate. "You did throttle me before."

"What?!" Froze's eyes widened as she whipped her head to face the other angel briefly and whipped it back to Satanick. "You hurt Macarona?!" She diverted her attention back to Macarona again. "How did this happen?! Why would he want to harm you?! What happened that aggravated him?! Why haven't you spoken up about it sooner?!"

"Because Crea was with us, remember; I couldn't exactly let her know what was going on," the other angel clarified for her. "Besides, Principal Lesley witnessed the assault himself because he was present when it occurred. I was called into his office to speak with the Gentleman Devil and he watched Mr. Satanick strangle me at one point. Mr. Yagi also pulled a gun on him, but didn't fire it off; he just used it to keep the principal in check while I spoke with his boss. Afterwards, Principal Lesley called Mr. Kcalb and Miss Etihw to inform them of what had happened. Sorry I hadn't brought it up before due to the circumstances," Macarona apologized to her, letting Froze know she hadn't meant to keep silent on the assault just to make her friends worry. "I told Lil about it too when I got home before after I left school."

"So this guy thinks he can go around trying to declare war on us all for the sake of getting his wife back?!" Froze demanded, directing her gaze at the Gentleman Devil next. "That he believes it's justification for attacking anyone?!"

"It is no proper justification," Satanick spoke up to try and relieve the angelic girl of her concern. "All I did was state my intentions and was immediately met with accusations. I allow suspicions as I'm a Devil, but not accusations."

"I asked if you had plans to invade our world," Macarona stated to let that be known for her friend.

"Accusations that are arrived at by putting pieces of a puzzle together without having all the pieces," Satanick elaborated, continuing on as if he was ignoring her. Maybe he did acknowledge the remark, but said this anyway as a reminder of his point. A point he would persistently hammer in as gently as possible as many times as he took to make it stick. "Too few pieces, while still able to paint a clear picture that shall leave behind one perspective, does not show the entire story altogether." He merely averted his attention to Macarona. "A good student like you should know that."

"You don't have to be so damn patronizing of her, she is a great student," Lil spoke up in Macarona's defense. "You're avoiding the question entirely with cryptic phrases and meanings that nonetheless speak of your intentions." Crossing her arms, she went straight to the point of that question. "Do you have plans to invade this world or not?"

The Gentleman Devil merely smiled slyly as if it were a political gesture to lull political opponents into a state of false security despite knowing it wouldn't work on his wife and these angels. "No, of course not—that is, if you come back to the Devil's Kingdom. Should this request be fulfilled, I'll not have to waste time and effort in invading it."

His reply merely garnered a snort of disapproval from his wife. "Yeah, like hell you won't. I know there's no way you'd pass up the opportunity to declare war against another world if it would benefit you or our hell in some way…or perhaps your 'boss', Warwick. Don't play the fool with me; I know fully well you're still working with him."

"I'll grant you're right that I can still submit a declaration of war if I wanted to, though you're wrong about one thing, Lil," Satanick conceded that point prior to attempting to disprove the other. "Warwick doesn't bear any influence in the Devil's Kingdom anymore due to Her Majesty's ruling that his black market was very illegal. I've worked with the Business Devil in the past, true, but not anymore because of the law. I may be a powerful Devil, though even I am a lawful vassal of Her Highness—a good one at that, a true law abiding vassal of her reign." That didn't sound convincing.

"Pfff, lawful evil more like it…" the demonic lady huffed and turned away from her spouse in anger, tired of listening to him speak. "Liar, I know you've got plans and are still collaborating with Warwick even if I don't have the evidence to prove it. I'm fully aware my testimony alone can still incur investigations, but that is where you risk being sloppy, my dipshit husband. In the course of trying to hide or destroy evidence, you may forget some; you might risk angering those who may rely on that evidence, including Warwick. Trying to cheat or silence them would only enrage a whole network, you know; and guess who runs that entire network and will find out eventually, huh: Warwick."

"Come now, Lil, even if I were still aligned with the Business Devil, I'd have taken that into account," her husband tried to reassure her. "You know as well as I do what the consequences would be if I was a participant in his black market now that it's illegal. But I can see this sort of topic would get nowhere except for reaching a stalemate."

"Gee, glad we can actually agree on something for once…" Lil muttered sarcastically. "First time ever…"

"Now, will you return to our underworld, or not?" Satanick once again tried to force his demand onto her.

The demonic lady shook her head. "Nope, piss off. I'm staying here until you allow me to have some more power so I can make a difference in our hell and actually help improve it so it won't be in the state you're governing it in. Running it into the ground isn't running it properly at all." Only now did the music in the living room begin, though a conversation Dialo was having with Crea about the piano and violin she and Chelan used blocked out the noise of this discussion until the music from both instruments started playing. "You're killing our hell; the Queen won't like that."

"It gets the job done, though I see no need to grant your request as I've explained time after time before," the Gentleman Devil explained. "Everything is running smoothly already. The men of our hell perform their services and responsibilities rather well while the women can enjoy the fruits of their labors without having to worry about anything."

"Because the aristocratic women—barring Killie and GriRea because of their own circumstances—don't need to do anything," Lil retorted with a demographic to prove her point. "They do jackshit because they're too lazy to do something about wanting to use power and wealth, and if they do they're either divorced or assassinated by cutthroats hired by their husbands to keep them from controlling virtually anything in their lives. The same goes for the middle and lower classes too, but women may sometimes be more successful at trying to acquire wealth which they lose when men so much as learn of it to steal everything for themselves. I grew up poor, okay, I know what I'm talking about since my damn father tried to take power and wealth for himself when he got drunk and killed before my mother found ways to consolidate both effectively even if the means were improper, immoral, and against society. They fought each other."

"If women weren't so greedy in the first place, men wouldn't have to seize the power and wealth. They just prefer to keep tight control over it since they believe both aspects would be more stable in their hands than women's," her husband commented to try and provide a reason why the Devil's Kingdom was a patrimonial civilization. "That's how it's always been, and you're proving my point by citing ludicrous accusations and showing you're too immature to use power and wealth. I've clarified it many times, Lil, but you still refuse to accept it as fact and use false demographics."

"Pure fact is the state our underworld is in," Lil growled, keeping her voice low. "Besides, you're pinning the blame on women, saying it's all our fault the Devil's Kingdom could get ruined before you even give us a chance. Just look at how Killie's running her company; it's right at the top of the list of the most productive enterprises in our underworld. Why, she runs it fairly and nobody complains about her policies as they're all justified by logical reasoning and provide fair working conditions for all employees. How's that for a 'false demographic' for you, dipshit husband?"

"It's not on either the official or unofficial lists, Lil," the Gentleman Devil responded to that point.

"Because the governmental offices and independent political analysts focus only on enterprises owned and operated solely by the men in our civilization," his wife retorted. "They can be bribed and threatened to ensure the guys that bribe and threaten them are put in high ranking positions on the lists. Nobody gives a shit about whether what the companies are involved in is legal or illegal provided they get the goods and services they need to survive in life."

"Calling the demons of our underworld complacent and the companies corrupt is no excuse to flaunt power along with wealth however one pleases. I trust all of the corporations because they work with the government—"

"For the government," Lil rudely interrupted his explanation as he spoke to correct that part of his statement.

"—to ensure the economy is functioning smoothly and flows well for all to benefit from," Satanick went on.

"Correction: all the men to benefit from," Lil interrupted again and turned to face him to make another point. "Anything you say about how our hell functions is jackshit and goes out the window as there are men—that's right, I said 'men'—in our hell and other worlds who know how you rule the Devil's Kingdom; they too disapprove of it."

"Their views are shaped by their worlds, not ours," Satanick countered her. "Ones in ours are just criminals."

"Not if they're members who have high ranking positions in the government!" Lil retorted. "And foreigners to our underworld are in full agreement that the corrupt patrimonial system you have in place seriously sucks ass!"

"Not to continue this petty argument any further, but have you completely disregarded what I just said?" her husband asked, somehow not even bothered by his wife's behavior towards him. Of course, he was married to her for a long time and must've gotten used to it by now. Either that or he thought he could tame and domesticate Lil as a lady.

"Oh, I've regarded it, alright, and you're still full of shit as always," Lil retorted.

Froze sighed in frustration after having listened to their argument for the past few minutes. While she admitted their dispute was rather tame for a married demonic couple fighting over the state of their underworld, the young angel believed she had heard enough. Although she initially didn't want to get involved in the conversation—and indeed, she had the option of walking away from it right now—she still needed to report in to Kcalb and Etihw about this. "Can you both please just move on already?" she inquired irritably, pressing a hand to her temple since the argument was starting to give her a headache. "If you're going to bicker, do it elsewhere; otherwise state your piece and be done with it."

"Watch yourself, angel," Yagi finally spoke up and reached into his coat to pull out the revolver in his pocket. "You have no business or right to interfere in Mr. Satanick's affairs where and when they do not concern your people."

"Uncle Yagi!" Envi hissed silently and quickly stood up to confront his uncle. "Put that thing away! You'll scare Crea! I don't want her hearing gunshots and coming in to witness you firing away to keep them out of his business!"

"The lad has a point, Yagi, do holster it," the Gentleman Devil commanded his subordinate to which Yagi obediently obeyed without hesitation and without posing questions why he shouldn't have shot the two angels. After ordering the older goat demon to step down for the moment, Satanick turned his attention onto Froze since she had spoken up to address him and Lil. "Though he isn't wrong either way, young lady. This is family business, after all."

"Family business that involves our world because you threatened to invade it if Lil doesn't return," Macarona added, speaking up as well because Lil was staying with her and also since the Gentleman Devil put forth that threat.

"To be fair, she was the one who came here and got us involved by taking up residence in your house," Froze remarked to suggest that Lil was also responsible. Her comment may have had a ring of truth to it, but that didn't mean there was any reason to fault Lil for simply coming over because she had nowhere else to go and nobody else to turn to when seeking aid and a place to stay due to her marital dispute. "Still, she may not have intended for this to happen."

"Hey, I do accept responsibility for my part, unintended as it was," Lil admitted, taking responsibility. "Even so, I'm not the one making threats here, am I now, my dipshit husband?" The second part of her question was directed at Satanick, her tone of voice seething with venomous rage. "Getting me back isn't reason enough to start a war. I'm sure that's one reason why you sent your assassins to recover me. Their failure means you'd have to get involved now, but war's too over excessive all for the sake of dragging my ass back into the Devil's Kingdom. All you'd need to do is inform the leaders and authorities here that you'll be taking me and request they do not trouble you. But no, a threat of invasion and war is the step you go for, the widest leap in logic you'd take to acquire resources and territories as well."

"You cannot prove that because you did not attend the meeting with this world's leaders," Satanick stated.

"But we can call them right now to find out," Macarona chimed in as Froze whipped her cellphone out.

"Their words alone aren't proof unless they provide evidence such as a recording of our meeting before," the Gentleman Devil countered their notion. "Otherwise it is their word against mine. Do you understand this paradox?"

"Oh, we'll take the risk, alright," Lil assured him they wouldn't trust his words. "Etihw and Kcalb are truly honest fellows. They've no reason to lie to us about something you told them as their integrity is purely more sincere than you ever are, my dipshit husband." She rested her elbows on the table, leaning forward to glare at him. "Care to take the risk and place everything on your bet that it won't explode in your face with official investigations into your conduct?"

"I already have, for actions do speak louder than words, Lil," Satanick said as he stood up, ready to leave now that he finished making his piece with the slice of apple pie he was eating devoured as well. Taking a napkin from the container on the table, he wiped his mouth to clear away crumbs along with apple bits around it before depositing it in a trash bin besides the counter on his way out. "Know this, Lil: you may be a guest in this world for now, but not for much longer. It is crucial that you return so you may fulfill your duties as my wife. I'll not allow your tomfoolery to cause problems for others just because you'd prefer to bother them than make an appointment with a marriage counselor."

"Maybe if the damn marriage counselor was not on your payroll receiving bribes from you to make me seem like the problem in our relationship, I'd consider listening to him," his wife retorted as he was heading out. "And just maybe— _just maybe_ —if you gave me some more power, I'd have not left and would've stayed to repair our hell."

"You cannot fix what isn't broken, Lil," Satanick smoothly remarked to let her know he believed it was quite futile of her to demand power and take it to use it however she pleased regardless of what she did with the power. "I ensured the infrastructure of the Devil's Kingdom is operating at its peak condition. It has already reached perfection."

"In your eyes," Macarona added while he was stepping out.

"But not in yours," the Gentleman Devil stopped to reply. "Do tell Dialo that I enjoyed the pie; it was tasty."

"Sure, fine," Froze commented, not getting up to see him and Yagi out since she heard the two men leaving through the front door a few moments later. Turning her head to look at Macarona and Lil, she couldn't help but sigh because she wasn't happy with the way that discussion turned out. "Well, that could have gone just a little better."

"Believe me, that's the best diplomacy you're going to get from him," Lil clarified for her. "He's forceful in his demands by way of threats, but won't speak of them to others if they were not present when he was threatening somebody else. Like he said, proof of the threats is needed in order to disprove that notion. Even so, however, that isn't good enough by itself even if he were attack because nobody can stop him from going through with it even if there's chances of him being defeated. My dipshit husband's not so brash like other Devils might be at times when assaulting another party perceived to be weak. He's aware your world's been involved in several conflicts and came out on top even if some were easier than others. What's more, he also knows your Devil absorbed Ivlis' powers and is not a force to be reckoned with directly at first. He'll strategically plan out his assault, building up to the final steps when he won't have to operate in the shadows cloak and dagger style. Subterfuge isn't necessary when he has an upper hand over opponents."

"Then we'll need to make sure he won't get an advantage over us," Macarona said with determination.

…

 **Will Satanick find an advantage that will get him the war he might be seeking? The plot's starting to thicken now as tensions between the Gray Garden and the Devil's Kingdom continue to develop and intensify. For the next chapter I'm probably going to cover another boss battle just to get some more combat action in; look forward to it and whatever developments that might likely spark a conflict between these two civilizations.**

 **Before I wrap things up, I just want to go over a couple things mentioned in previous chapters. First, in the Bonus Chapter of** _Seven Nights at Clarabella's_ **I originally stated that the title of that story was going to be the title of Macarona's book. In chapter thirteen of this story,** _An Otherworldly Marital Dispute_ **, I had changed the title to something else because I completely forgot about that detail. At the time of writing the Bonus Chapter of** _Seven Nights at Clarabella's_ **I intended for the story's title to serve as a means of breaking the fourth wall. Although it's been reduced to simply being the subtitle for one of the chapter's in Macarona's book—as a way of breaking the fourth wall again via editing—the purpose is still very much the same. Sorry for not clarifying this matter before.**

 **Second, in the author's notes of chapter nine of this story, I said I was considering the idea of writing the first story in my Wadanohara and the Great Blue Sea series after this story just to stay up to date with a timeline I've constructed for my stories. While I've given that notion some more thought, I realized that I would have to put if off for a little while longer. The reason being is because I've got ideas for a collection of one-shots I'd like to write about Lobco, my favorite character from Wadanohara and the Great Blue Sea. This collection will also follow the timeline, but parts of it in the beginning will take place before the game itself and the Gray Garden as well as any other canon components of the Mogeko universe like the Obsolete Dream manga. Some one-shots might even take place during the previous Gray Garden stories I've written. That's why I think it'd be better to handle some one-shots for this collection first prior to writing my first fanfiction story for Wadanohara and the Great Blue Sea. The collection's title is** _The Life of Lobco_ **; its description's on my profile page and in the forums.**

 **Regarding the respirator I mentioned in this chapter, it is a cross between the two kinds of respirators that are described above in the paragraph where Satanick provides details on Yagi's gas mask. On Wikipedia you'll find categorized sections of what standards respirators must follow in accordance with the United States NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) and two European standards: EN 143 along with EN 149. Just Google the word 'respirator' and check out the page about it on Wikipedia for more info.**


	17. Chapter Seventeen: Vs Daimonji

"I asked you a question, Uncle Yagi! Was that really necessary?!" Envi growled softly, confronting Yagi over the older goat demon's actions at Dialo's house earlier that evening. He disapproved of what Yagi had done then. "Don't ever, _ever_ , pull your guns out like that when Crea is nearby! I don't want her even seeing you or anyone else resort to violence just to make a point and get it across or make other people comply with the demands you guys establish!" Envi was absolutely furious with his uncle and the Gentleman Devil, but regulated his anger to maintain control over it as Crea was sound asleep in the next room. If she woke up, she would've been upset over hearing their argument and learning the truth about what Envi was involved in and why he and his other associates had really come to the Gray Garden.

"Know your place, boy," the older goat demon chided him sternly, not raising his voice either. "We made our points and ensured they would stick. I only did what was necessary to keep those girls out of Mr. Satanick's business."

"It is Lil's business too, and she has a right to handle it however she wants to!" the younger goat demon retorted coldly. "I don't care how they handle their marital dispute, but I refuse to be a part of it when you are making threats Crea could overhear! She might've preoccupied in another room, but unsheathing your guns even if it's just to show them off for the sake of anything is wrong! She could've seen it even if it was silenced so she wouldn't have heard it go off!"

"I shall not justify my actions, nor shall I consider your point," Yagi replied in a threatening tone of voice. "I shall not repeat myself either, Envi. Before you left with Anten and Daimonji, I demanded of you to not be a failure like Jork. This might be your first assignment, but so far you have already proven yourself a failure like him because of this stance you're taking. If it was to preserve your cover, it would be tolerable; though now all pretenses of subterfuge are dead. We must now take matters into our own hands and decide on a moment when we must take more drastic measures."

"And what could be more drastic, hmm:" Envi demanded angrily, "a full-scale invasion of this world?!"

"If it comes to that, yes," Daimonji murmured, getting involved until a hand raised by Satanick quieted him.

"So, it must be true then…" the younger goat demon remarked, finally coming to the realization that already began to be treated as a fact that could've most likely happened by the Gray Garden. "You will declare war…"

"May I advise you to reconsider the way you are stating that, Envi?" the Gentleman Devil asked to try allaying his subordinate's suspicions which had already progressed beyond the border of suspicion. Now Envi downright had conviction in the belief that his superiors really were seeking to invade the Gray Garden. Yet Satanick wished to dispel it entirely because it was a concern Envi didn't need to bother himself with. "I will declare war if I do not get Lil back because the people of this peaceful world wish to protect her by believing they can keep her here instead of returning her like I had asked. However, you and this world's people are mistrusting my vow to never invade if she's turned over."

"I don't need to reconsider anything," Envi stated coldly with pure honesty. He had enough of the cloak and dagger tactics and the cover-ups his superiors were utilizing. "I've done my best to go along with your orders for this assignment, but today was the last straw." He whipped his head to face Yagi. "If you hadn't pulled your gun today, I wouldn't be reacting to it the way that I am." Envi averted his attention to Anten. "If you hadn't gone ahead to make an attempt to fulfill the mission without Daimonji—and I if I had to get involved—our cover wouldn't have been blown into the proportions it has become. There were suspicions on us, yes, but it was you who lit the torch entirely to increase them."

"I didn't do shit about that!" Anten retorted, enraged with the novice assassin for making that accusation.

"To be fair, it really was your fault, Anten, so you cannot argue against it," Satanick calmed him to prevent Anten from sparking yet another fight that was equally unnecessary as it was to pick that one against Lil and Macarona. "You might've discovered some valuable information for us, but nonetheless you truly are to blame for that." Turning his attention to Yagi, he put forth another point—one in Envi's favor as he was siding with the younger goat demon on the issue of Yagi drawing his weapon at Dialo's house. "And Envi is indeed right that drawing your gun when Crea could have come in at the wrong moment would've upset her." However, he was also mediating the argument too. "Even so, Yagi, you were right to try and keep those angels out of it because it was an argument between myself and my wife."

"An argument that is now engulfing an entire other world because she simply asked for a bit of power from you and you refused to give it to her," Envi countered his point. "Granted, I do think it is meant to be between the two of you and that it was unnecessary for her to involve another world. Nonetheless, it is still Miss Lil's decision to handle it as she sees fit if it'll be of assistance to her in some way that would help clear up this marital dispute between the two of you."

"I told her she should've gone to the marriage counselor," the Gentleman Devil clarified that point for him.

"And she explained why she felt that wasn't an option!" Envi retorted, pinching the bridge of his nose and sighing in frustration while hanging his head low to show how irritated he had become with the actions Satanick and Yagi took. "I'm done," he declared, raising his head. "I'm finished with all of this. Making threats in a school kids attend; doing the same towards the leaders of this world to threaten the whole world and its people ; and going on to making the same threat and utilizing the same kind of force you used to make those threats known…I've had it with you all. I'm sick and tired of all this subterfuge, how I have to operate in secret by attempting to keep a cover that has already been blown. I'm trying to keep the people of this world from panicking over a war potentially looming over them and continuing to do so. You're all making my efforts at that very difficult. What's worse, you pulled a gun when Crea was nearby, Uncle Yagi!" He huffed angrily in disapproval of what his comrades and superiors have done. "You're right, Uncle Yagi, this was my first assignment…" he added, turning around to head into the next room. "It is also my last, for I am resigning here and now. I shall not have any part in ruining this world, nor will I continue to work with anyone who might upset Crea."

"You do acknowledge what shall become of your little charge if you dare speak to this world's people and their leaders about what we've discussed in this very hotel room tonight," Anten threatened him with harm towards Crea.

"I'm well aware, alright," Envi retorted quietly before leaving the room. Anten was about to pursue him to further elaborate on the threat regardless of whether Crea got upset or not, but Satanick kept him back with a glare.

"You are not to ever make such a threat against Crea, Anten," the Gentleman Devil scolded him for that threat, glaring coldly at the demonic assassin without bothering to elaborate on why he was issuing that order. "If you do, I shall see to it that your days are numbered." Silencing himself for a few moments to let that threat against Anten and his life instill fear into the assassin, Satanick then proceeded onto an order. "Now, I have a job for you and Daimonji…"

…

They were sauntering down a path towards a cavern to clear out a pack of Dire Wolves that had been hunting around the perimeter of the region's eastern border. Their footfalls along the path sounded off their presence as several other woodland creatures skittered away to avoid them, believing they were predators. Maybe not exactly the sort of predators that were usually going after them, and indeed, the duo wasn't because they didn't hunt the animals even if others did. Still, the association was there to instill fear in the animals to make them run away from the pair that strolled through the woods on this fine Saturday midday. They had already finished the packed lunch they made, discarding the trash into a garbage bin set up by the side of the road so people wouldn't litter. No litter made this world very clean.

As they walked, Macarona couldn't help but drift off in her thoughts to the imminent threat Satanick posed. He was a dangerous man for a Devil, somebody who had the power to do anything. The Gentleman Devil had no need to concern himself with words and oral testimonies because he would openly admit things through thinly veiled messages spoken outright. Actions spoke louder than words and accusations were difficult to make without solid evidence. He demonstrated that quite well when he throttled Macarona and put forth those points, knowing an absence of concrete proof and people of this world forming one united perspective against him were his advantages. Willing to take risks of gambling against oral testimonies that could've raised red flags towards his secretive agendas, Satanick appeared ready for just about anything that would've threatened his machinations: service to Warwick, and damaging the Devil's Kingdom by placing restrictions on gender and wealth to ensure only men with financial power could rule that underworld.

When he showed up at Dialo's house yesterday while they were having apple pie after dinner, the Gentleman Devil made it perfectly clear in the argument he had with Lil that his views on women were oral proof of Lil's truths. The demonic lady explained several times before then that the Devil's Kingdom was an underworld where only men had power and anybody of whatever ethnic background could rise to power regardless of their class status if they proved useful to society. Lil's own anecdote of how she personally climbed the social ladder demonstrated that quite well since she'd gone from being a lower class peasant-slave to becoming the wife of a prestigious Devil at once without having ascended any further from the point she started at. She was simply lifted from the bottom rung straight up to the top. Satanick's insult that women couldn't handle power as it'd be unstable in their hands was very disrespectful towards women. Macarona could think of a lot of successful women who disproved that notion of his, herself and Lil included.

Even the call from Froze last night about what she heard from Etihw concerning the meeting she and Kcalb had with Satanick was worrisome. He had discussed his meeting with Macarona at the high school which wasn't all that surprising to either her or Lil because Principal Lesley called the Goddess and Devil of the Gray Garden. Satanick had even lied about it and his intentions, threatening this world with war if he didn't get Lil back while attempting to use that threat as an ultimatum to make them comply with his request. Etihw and Kcalb were highly suspicious of him; rightly so because the Gentleman Devil stated there'd be a war against them and lied about his business with Macarona. They wanted to bring Fumus, the Smoking God, and Her Majesty of the underworlds, Queen GriRea, into the affair too because they wanted to ensure Satanick wouldn't be able to break his word. In addition, they wanted to personally go see Satanick's military stepping down with their own eyes. Although the Gentleman Devil made it seem like they would've been to blame for having gone that extra step since their visit could've been perceived otherwise by GriRea and Fumus, Satanick did indeed admit he was responsible for wanting that perception to be valid and trying to make it so. There certainly were plenty of implications in his speech; though the Gentleman Devil made it clear that words alone weren't any good unless actions and evidence backed those words up even if those words incited investigations into his affairs. Yet the most damning implications of all were his association with Warwick and an alleged conspiracy against GriRea.

Those were the sorts of implications that would've worry anyone…except there was no concrete evidence that would have proven those implications true. Without that proof, there was no way to demonstrate how true the words were. Actions spoke louder than words, after all. If the investigations ushered forth by those words didn't find some concrete proof, what would've? And how could the evidence have been found if it was destroyed with any and all witnesses involved silenced alongside those who were involved in the affairs and might not have been too useful?

It sounded like yet another conspiracy Macarona was becoming involved in with the Gray Garden at risk of being threatened by a war that could've happened any day now even if Satanick's demand to get Lil back was met. Unlike the last one which wasn't wrought with political tensions as Project Dynol Peiriant was mainly about historical and cultural concerns, this one was. There was a thick atmosphere of tension that heavily weighed down the Gray Garden all because a foreign demon had come to see a friend for help after a marital dispute with her husband. This tension was raised when she arrived and made her presence known, but it hadn't gotten as bad or worse until the assassins showed up followed by the Gentleman Devil himself with his Chancellor and Marshall at his side. It was a cold war fraught by apprehensions and concerns that yet another war was coming to the Gray Garden all because of a marital dispute. A marital dispute that not only reflected Lil's hatred for her husband, but also her hatred for what the Devil's Kingdom was like under Satanick and how unhealthy a state that was for the underworld to be in. Only reform could mend it all.

However, it seemed like reform might not have been possible even if there was hope for it. Yesterday Lil had said she might've still remained in the Devil's Kingdom even if she still had more power. She hoped to help her hell by reforming it, but perhaps reform at whatever stage the Devil's Kingdom was currently in might've been very difficult or even impossible to accomplish even with aid. If it could not be saved, where would Lil go? Where would those who called the Devil's Kingdom home go if their underworld's infrastructure was crippled and destroyed by corruption? What would've become of it then? What would've become of demons like Lil, Killie and her family, and GriRea? Would they have to find another hell where they'd have to start all over, beginning anew from scratch to reclaim their lives? These questions were important as they signified the tense dread of a civilization collapsing in on itself due to corruption. They worried Macarona because she was one of Lil's best friends who had also ingratiated herself with GriRea, so it was only natural for her to worry about them and how the fall of the Devil's Kingdom would affect their lives and futures.

"You alright, Macarona?" the demonic lady asked from beside her, gazing at the young angel in concern.

"Yeah, just thinking about yesterday is all," the angelic girl responded honestly so she could share her feelings about the matter with her demonic friend. "I was wondering about what would happen if the Devil's Kingdom falls. What would happen to you and other demons like you, such as Her Majesty and Killie's family? Where would you go?"

"Ah…aye, that's a tough inquiry to ponder," Lil concurred with the difficulty it raised, knowing how difficult moving to another home was. Her first home had been in a lower class neighborhood where she struggled to survive under abusive parents and the corruption that plagued society. Then all of a sudden she became Satanick's wife and had to adjust to being a Devil's wife by learning how to behave and act like one. If it was just home in one underworld, this wouldn't have been so tough; calling another hell home and acclimating to it would've been more difficult. "Well, if you ask me the corrupt demons and my dipshit husband deserve it for causing the place to become ruined in the first place. Her Majesty's got huge, sprawling estates in other underworlds that are set up for her to rule from in the event the Devil's Kingdom ever does collapse in on itself. Killie's family has otherworldly villas too where they can continue to run their respective businesses and corporations from. I'm sure they've recognized our underworld may fall someday and have prepared for it, though I've had no such time and power to establish joints for myself elsewhere. Unfortunately, the restrictions my dipshit husband placed upon me preventing me from even doing so on a small scale. I'm his damn wife, maybe he's planning on taking me down with him, but I'm not budging even less than a centimeter towards a fall. I'll fight, sure, but in the end it won't matter if I've got no support and no place to go where I can continue to fight and live."

"You could live in the Gray Garden or other worlds where you have friends," Macarona suggested, smiling to cheer Lil up. "Then we'd always be in a position where we can make plans to see each other without you having to risk sneaking out in order to see us. I'd even help you with finding a permanent place to stay if you need a new home."

Lil giggled joyously, happy to have a friend like Macarona. "Aw, thanks, Macarona! You're an angel!" she said while they laughed, coming up to a fork in the road. There were two paths that led around the den where the Dire Wolves they were hunting resided. This particular spot was partly covered by their territory which was why a quest was filed to clear the area of their presence. Macarona and Lil had taken the quest partly to take their minds of the business with the latter's husband and his threat of declaring war, plus they also wanted to help out the citizens by making these paths safer to travel on. It was a great way for them to clear their heads and for Lil to blow off steam. "Hmm…" Lil murmured while pondering how they'd go about the business of fighting their quarry, "two paths that branch off in different directions."

"We should split up to cover more ground," Macarona voiced the very idea her demonic friend thought of.

"My thoughts precisely, Macarona; great minds sure do think alike," the lady laughed. "I'll go right; you, left."

The young angel nodded as they proceeded on their separate patrols. "Sure, you got it, Lil."

…

On a nearby plateau quite a distance away from where Macarona and Lil had reached the fork in the road, two shadowy figures watched them approach the area from within the shadows while emerging. Neither of the girls realized they were being watched because powerful black magic was concealing their presence. From out of the shadows they stepped forward into the light, continuing to observe their quarry as they planned their next move against the duo.

"Heh…" Anten chuckled lightly with a vicious smirk, looking forward to getting his revenge against them. "Well, well, seems the information Mr. Yagi provided proved fruitful after all. Nobody else is around to help them."

"You didn't believe him when he first put that information out there?" Daimonji asked rhetorically.

"I did too believe him, but with the guy you never know," the other assassin commented while shrugging. "He hardly ever is the one who gets the kind of dirt other demons like us are usually looking for. I just didn't expect it."

"I see…" Daimonji murmured, eyes on the two girls who split up at that moment. "We proceed as planned in accordance to our orders. I shall pursue the angel. You are to tail Miss Lil and distract her to prevent her from acting."

Anten's smirk widened a bit. "Sure, fine, whatever. I'll go after Miss Lil."

"Just don't lose too quickly this time," his fellow veteran assassin added, garnering a scowl from Anten.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll keep her off your back, alright. Just make sure you don't fail either, got it; otherwise there'd be hell to pay if Mr. Satanick hears we failed him yet again. And don't take too long either; I'd rather not fight Lil for long."

…

Sticking to the path in light having veered off it slightly into the trees, the demonic lady simply strolled along, arms held up behind her head where they rested. Humming a plain, old tune she heard from somebody in Gray Village once, Lil cheerfully maintained her stride while listening carefully for the sounds of something stalking her. Her eyes remained shut, making her visually oblivious to the sights around her. Yet she could still sense the presence of life that surrounded her, using her keen sense of hearing to determine where everything was. Small, cute woodland critters darted away from her, thinking she was coming after them as a predator just as the insects were disturbed from their rest and departed for other spots all the same. Lil inwardly chuckled, smiling at the thought of scaring them for laughs; she might not have been a predator herself, but she sure could pretend to be one hunting for prey. Of course, she didn't act like it. Nonetheless, she was still a predator hunting a different sort of quarry, one that preyed on helpless passerby in addition to its usual sources of meat because Dire Wolves were primarily carnivores; they never resorted to eating like herbivores unless they got sick and had to rely on berries and herbs to get better so they could resume their normal diet behavior.

It was something that set them apart from normal wolves which were a bit friendlier and would accept help acquiring the right kind of medicine to recover. Ordinary wolves were not so aggressive unless they were hunting and defending their territories, especially their dens. Dire Wolves were just plain mean, developing a habit of showing off strength much superior to that of average wolves. Their carnivorous desires extended beyond other animals and beasts of the wild, for the Dire Wolves would've even gone so far as to assault helpless people for food. It made them bandits and murderers, monsters that couldn't care less due to their pride as being a good predator in the food chain. Sometimes even Dire Wolves would've asserted their dominance over other creatures, including fellow wolf packs, so they could lead. However, even a lone Dire Wolf could've been beaten by sheer numbers against it and even a single monster that was stronger than it. Lil certainly was, and the thought of kicking some Dire Wolf ass felt pleasing to her because she could imagine her husband as one. Picturing him as a lesser creature like a Dire Wolf did help the demonic lady calm herself.

Satanick really was an ass, more so than ever at times such as yesterday for example. Having the audacity to assault somebody over an accusation—as true as it was even though said accusation was also quite extreme itself—was improper and wrong. Despite the fact his plans for declaring war on the Gray Garden were real, Lil had to admit her spouse was correct about two things: solid, tangible evidence mattered as proof; and actions spoke louder than words. The Gentleman Devil's brazen attack on Macarona with Yagi showing his revolver were definitive proof of both because she and other witnesses saw both elements. Unfortunately, the witnesses and Macarona were still residents of this world, meaning they could've banded together to say anything that would've purposely countered claims made by the Devil's Kingdom. The problem was two different perspectives from two different worlds—mainly the underworld of one opposing an entire world which left the heaven in a position to side with either one. However, Lil was from the Devil's Kingdom and she had personally experienced its faults herself; she knew the truth for it was exactly as she said it was. Satanick and his cohorts were in the wrong, corrupting that hell entirely; it was all their fault for ruining their civilization by running it into the ground. The Devil's Kingdom still functioned, sure, but only in the manner they constructed for it.

Lil huffed in annoyance, getting irritated that she was even thinking about him. "Man…" she murmured to herself, frustrated by that cruel demeanor of his hidden behind his political and diplomatic silver tongue. "I swear to god that man's digging his own bloody grave…he'll be in for a rude awakening when it all comes crashing down on him." She took a deep breath and sighed, trying to forget all about him so she could focus on the quest she and Macarona took.

Then again, maybe it wouldn't. Perhaps the Gentleman Devil possessed means of keeping the Devil's Kingdom alive in its already dead state. Something was still keeping it flowing at the rate it was going, and she bet it had to do with the illegal business and side jobs Satanick and his associates performed on a daily basis. There was certainly economic value in the black markets in spite of their sinister trades and crafts, how various forms of traffic comprised black markets to keep them functioning. Exorbitantly high prices were set on all the goods traded via shady transactions in places untouched by laws and order because said laws provided loopholes for its existence in the Devil's Kingdom. Lil didn't possess much evidence besides her understanding of those loopholes and what they were meant for as well as having personally seen stuff that was on black markets in Nightrise Castle. She even heard conversations regarding the stuff plain as day. It was all definitive evidence that her husband was still involved with Warwick; on whatever level she did not know despite being perfectly aware of Satanick's status as the Business Devil's Left Hand. Warwick's black market was outlawed by GriRea's law illegalizing it, yet there just had to be a presence of it in the Devil's Kingdom somewhere.

Lil shook her head, trying to keep this from bothering her. She would've had a much better opportunity to clear her mind had Satanick not showed up in the world or even assigned his subordinates to try and capture her. The demonic lady could ponder this on quests like this one against the Dire Wolves, but not when her own husband and his minions were present. They were a distraction worrying her, keeping her from thinking clearly because her rage towards them clouded her thoughts. Still, Lil was able to control herself and manage her anger because she realized it didn't help to get frustrated over the problem as frustrating as it actually was. "Keep calm…focus on the quest…let them come to you…" she murmured, wishing for the Dire Wolves to attack her at once so she could divert her attention to them instead of worrying over anything the Gentleman Devil had in store for her and the Gray Garden. She could still think about the issue another time, but right now she was on a quest with Macarona to hunt some Dire Wolves to make this area safe.

Sure enough she could hear the sound of growling which cycled into ferocious snarls. Twigs and branches on the ground snapped and shattered underneath the paws of powerful beasts charging right towards her. Lil grinned, thankful for the needed distraction as she instantly morphed into bats at just the right moment to escape the jaws of a Dire Wolf that attempted to pounce upon her in the nick of time. Reforming as several others appeared alongside it and started circling her while they kept up their running pace, the demonic lady laughed aloud as she was going to enjoy this fight. "Wish granted!" she remarked in delight and held out her right arm, the palm of her hand held up while dark orbs began materializing in a circular motion. One of the Dire Wolves opened its mouth and snarled, sprinting towards Lil while consuming an orb that immediately began to expand. Spikes formed along it, impaling the monster as they lengthened before ultimately exploding, causing the entire head and the back half of its body to erupt into pure gory messes.

"One down!" Lil called out as another quickly approached only to be seized by the demonic lady as she again turned into bats and lifted the poor Dire Wolf up. Strangling it while twisting its body in two opposite directions, she slammed the second beast down into the ground. "Two…" Only three were left until two others emerged from between the trees and foliage, making for a set of five. One of the original three charged forward, though couldn't escape the rest of the orbs that closed in and turned into shards of black fire that pierced its body and flew out towards one of the newer additions right as it was entering the fray. Thankfully the flames dissipated so they wouldn't have burned any of the foliage and trees to cause a forest fire that could've still helped by engulfing these Dire Wolves in deadly flames. Even so, Lil wanted to be careful fighting in this terrain and knew some might've been scared off by the fire; she was supposed to slay the Dire Wolves, not chase them off. Pursuing them could've only gone so far until she lost the targets. As of right now, only three remained in this group for her to take care of. Another charged as Lil became a sharp mist that slit its throat.

"One more dead! I can keep this up all day, boys and girls!" she taunted them again, watching as one of the remaining two started charging towards her. Either the Dire Wolves were oblivious to what had befallen their fellows, or they were just plain stupid. Lil couldn't help but giggle at the thought of arrogance decreasing their intelligence; a shame she couldn't say the same about her husband even though she really wanted to enjoy that. The demonic lady was just about to morph into bats again as the Dire Wolf leapt up to pounce when shadowy lances erupted from below. They pierced the beast's body and quickly retracted as Lil turned into bats anyway to dodge the corpse sailing towards her. "Whoa, that one wasn't mine," she murmured and watched the other Dire Wolf stop in its tracks, sniffing the air for any scents of other assailants. That attack certainly wasn't done by her, but she had a feeling she knew somebody who was responsible for it. Several ideas flashed into her mind, though she could easily eliminate two of them, leaving only four. Another presence entered the area and she could sense it from just beyond the last Dire Wolf, a familiar presence she could definitely perceive as one of the four individuals she was thinking of. "Come out, you coward. I know you are there," Lil challenged him, demanding the assailant reveal himself to her. "Stop hiding like the craven you are and face me like a man if you can even dare to call yourself one." It was definitely a guy; that was for sure. Somebody Lil knew very well. "Back for round two, or are you just going to tuck your tail between your legs and slither away in fear again?"

"Like I said before, you always do have a way with words, Miss Lil," Anten retorted while stepping out of the shadows to confront her. Hearing his footsteps, the Dire Wolf turned to lash out at him when its maw was suddenly caught in the assassin's hands. Easily ripping the top jaw and the top half of its head off by applying demonic strength to his arms, Anten merely tossed the cadaver aside and resumed his own approach until he was just a short distance away from the demonic lady. "Apologies for popping in unannounced without your approval. I was just in the area and figured I'd come see you since I caught a glimpse of you with that angelic girl. Mind if I join you for a little hunting for a bit?"

Lil scowled, not liking his arrival one bit. There had to be a reason why Anten had come to bother her. "Why the hell are you here, Anten? Shouldn't you be off skulking somewhere else instead of trying to pick another fight with me?"

"Now that you mention it…" the demonic assassin smirked sinisterly. "That does sound like a good idea."

"Where the hell's Daimonji at? He's somewhere here too, isn't he? Trying to capture me without anyone else the wiser?" his quarry asked, making her demand since she was beginning to catch onto the plan he was involved in. She was very worried about Macarona because her angelic friend could've been fighting the other assassin even now. It seemed like Daimonji might've been serving as a distraction to keep Macarona from providing aid. Yet if Daimonji himself emerged from the shadows as well, what would've kept the young angel from arriving as soon as possible to help fight the assassins? Lil growled, thinking Yagi and maybe Satanick too were picking some sort of fight with the angel if Daimonji showed himself to her; or perhaps they had decided to aid Anten. Yet it didn't feel right; Satanick usually wouldn't handle this kind of petty dirty work himself, and Yagi was always at the Gentleman Devil's side. It was odd. What on earth were they planning to do? If they weren't trying to reclaim her now, what was their current objective?

"Heh…wouldn't you like to know?" Anten asked rhetorically and began to charge at her with twin war axes produced from the shadows with his magic. "Instead of trying to concern yourself with him, why not pay attention to the one who's really in front of you right now?!" Grinning widely, he slashed at her while Lil turned into mist to dissipate before reforming elsewhere to launch dark orbs, gusts of dark wind, and bats he deflected with a shadowy shield.

"Damn you…" Lil seethed, thinking Anten was only a distraction. But from what exactly and for what purpose?

"Damn you too, Miss Lil!" the assassin taunted her and leapt back, turning into a snake to slither through the hailstorm of her assault. Successfully dodging it and returning to his demonic form, he chuckled as if he was expecting to win. Of course, knowing the demonic lady, he already knew he was no match for her even on his own. She was just too strong for him, but he would still make the attempt anyway to make up for his previous failure losing against her the last time they fought. If successful—and that was a largely unlikely if—he could hopefully knock her out and then bring her to the Gentleman Devil. Her husband would've been pleased with him and Anten would've probably been rewarded. A spark of greed for that reward flashed in his eyes as he outmaneuvered yet another attack from Lil, seeking success where it could not be located due to how powerful the demonic lady was. Still, that wouldn't stop him from trying his best. Who knew? The plan might've gone a little better than they might've originally expected it would if he could capture her.

Racking her brain for ideas on what was going on, Lil attempted to pick each one apart one by one. None of them made much sense to her until her eyes suddenly widened and she wound up looking in other directions for her angelic friend. "Oh no…" she whispered in concern, gravely worried that a fear she now entertained was sprouting. Yet her gaze diverted back to a blow Anten attempted to deal upon her and she was forced to dodge it. Narrowly avoiding it in the nick of time, Lil seethed with rage now that she realized what was truly going on. "Damn you assholes to hell!"

…

Her armor made no noise as she cautiously crept forward inch by inch, darting between the trees and hiding behind them for cover from any Dire Wolves or other monsters that might've been lurking in the area. Macarona took a deep breath through her mask after peering through the foliage blocking part of her view. She could see little apart from the foliage and other trees, and hardly anything was moving except for the insects and smaller woodland critters. Very little was occurring along the path she had gone down after separating from Lil to cover more ground. If she had to, there was the option of sprinting down the path to regroup with Lil if her friend's route hadn't branched off elsewhere. Even so, Macarona wouldn't run from the fight; even if she did retreat, it would only be for a tactical advantage to find another spot where she could safely maneuver without having to worry about being mauled in confined spaces that hindered her agility and movement. The young angel took pride in her strength as a martial artist and grappler, but acknowledged that her arts in combat wouldn't have been much use without agility and maneuverability to effectively support her fighting style.

A gust of wind blew by her, brushing against her hair and the tall grass that reached halfway up her legs. The angelic combatant proceeded carefully along her path, listening intently for the sound of Dire Wolves approaching her location. Splitting up was a good idea not just because they were covering a wider area from two different fronts, but also because the pack could've split into two groups she and Lil could handle on their own. Unless the entire pack showed up and came after one of them, they could hold their ground well enough or make that tactical retreat to regroup. They both had those options available, and Macarona knew Lil would've considered them too and could find an opportunity to shake her attackers off by withdrawing to rejoin Macarona so they could fight together better than on their own. That wasn't to say they'd do well individually; just that teamwork heightened their chances of success on this mission.

"Sure feels quiet…" Macarona whispered to herself, commenting on the lack of much noise from critters and insects, "for now, at least." She could barely hear them to the point where it she couldn't even hear them at all. She felt sure she wasn't going deaf or something—her hearing was still perfectly healthy—because she could still clearly hear her own footsteps through the underbrush. Why this space was devoid of sound was a mystery when she was making noise, though maybe it had to do with the Dire Wolves as an indication of their presence nearby. They might've caught her scent by now and were already preparing their assault. Steadying her breathing, Macarona tensed up as she prepared for a fight.

There was a sound of movement to her right and she immediately whirled to face whatever caused it. A Dire Wolf, a lone attacker, leapt from within the foliage with its jaws wide open to make a meal of her. Bracing herself for dodging the blow right away, Macarona quickly leapt to the side and sidestepped when it landed. She swung around, lifting her leg to deliver a sharp kick to the beast's side. The Dire Wolf avoided it, leaping back just in time to get into another position to pounce upon her. It leapt up once more to land on top of her…until a hole pierced its head. A sudden noise of something sharp getting embedded in a tree a short distance away indicated it was a projectile that killed the Dire Wolf as its corpse continued to hurtle towards Macarona. Luckily she rushed out of the way and went to the cadaver to examine the wound. Finding a hole going through the beast's head and examining it for a few moments, but not too quick because she worried about being an accidental target of whoever else was hunting in this area now, the angelic grappler looked up and ran to the tree where she heard the sound of something hitting it. Reaching her arm up, brushing her hand over the bark, Macarona located the projectile in question and applied a bit of strength to yank it out from the tree.

"A bullet…" she murmured in surprise, wondering why one was here. Guns weren't even produced in this world anymore because they were too deadly. The furthest one could've gone was crossbows, but crossbows were only given to town guards and soldiers who protected the citizens. Although some civilians could wield them at shooting ranges when firing at wooden targets because the shooting ranges had permits allowing them to let people use such weapons, they couldn't keep the crossbows. Yet this was an actual bullet, not a crossbow bolt—a bullet from a gun. Nobody in this world possessed guns, so that left her with the theory that whoever fired this bullet must've been a foreigner from another world. However, even foreigners weren't permitted to carry guns or bring them into the Gray Garden. Even so, Macarona knew of several individuals in particular—specifically those from the Devil's Kingdom; excluding Lil because she knew the demonic lady wouldn't use guns, plus she was a friend—who would've disobeyed that law. Remaining calm and getting behind a tree for cover, she thought of all the suspects who entered her mind.

Satanick himself was the first to come to mind, but she supposed he probably wouldn't wield a gun unless he had come to hunt; however, she didn't expect him to be hunting in this world unless he'd been hunting for his wife—in which case he would have his subordinates assist in the endeavor. Envi and Crea definitely weren't violent, so she was able to rule those two out as well even though the young goat demon was an assassin; still, he was nice and didn't want to upset the young creation by doing anything that she didn't like or would've scared her. It could've been Anten, though he didn't wield guns the last time she fought him with Lil. That just left Yagi and Daimonji, the latter of whom she never met. Beginning to stay on the move so she wouldn't remain in one spot for too long, Macarona pocketed the bullet and dashed through the trees in search of cover to hopefully gain a better view of where the assailant was while whittling down the list even further now that she only had two suspects left. She had seen the revolver Yagi wielded and knew he used guns from what Lil had said when she first met Macarona's other friends; that expertise ranged from any kind of gun, though Lil stated Yagi preferred wielding revolvers and shotguns as opposed to guns he still would've made use of. That bullet Macarona examined was specifically a shell from a sniper rifle and she was able to recognize it as such because she had learned about it during a history lesson on guns in warfare in school. If Yagi didn't bring a sniper rifle with him to the Gray Garden, one of the assassins might've for him; even so, that didn't mean Yagi was the one sniping her from afar.

The young angel stopped for a moment behind cover to catch her breath. "It's Daimonji, right?!" she called out.

"So you know who I am?" a voice she never heard before echoed all around her as if the demonic assassin was on the move. His was a question he didn't need her to answer. "As expected, Miss Lil does tend to reveal everything."

"Why are you here?" Macarona asked and went back on the move. "I thought you guys weren't going to act until negotiations were over!" She was aware of how the castle allowed the assassins to have some mobility in town so long as they didn't cause trouble until Satanick concluded his business with Etihw and Kcalb in a diplomatic fashion. "Trying to pick a fight with Lil and I won't exactly lend to those negotiations working in your boss' favor, you know?!"

"I am aware, alright," Daimonji responded to her, his position concealed from his angelic target. "I am merely doing a bit of hunting to pass the time. There's no need for aggression when I can help you out with your endeavor."

"Tch…" The young angel didn't believe him as she caught sight of another dead Dire Wolf while running. Sprinting past it, she quickly noticed the bullet hole in its head and wondered when he made this shot. The wound and blood were still fresh, so it had to have been recent. A sniper rifle would've made a loud sound when it fired, though Daimonji probably had a silencer equipped on the barrel to muffle his shots as he lined them up to his targets. Whoever he aimed for wouldn't have known they were in his sights until it was too late and they were already dead—of course, they might not have known at all unless they became ghosts. Judging from the trajectory of this wound, it must've come from the same direction that other bullet she saw came from: her left. Macarona dove behind the protection a small cliff offered and caught sight of a pond she could use to gaze at what was behind the cliff without peering out from behind it. Some ducks were swimming in the pond, minding their own business when another shot killed one to scare the others off.

Perhaps Daimonji really had come to hunt, but Macarona couldn't be sure since two of those shots had been directed close by her. He hadn't hit her yet likely because he wasn't aiming for her at the moment. Daimonji could've sniped her before when he had the chance, and Macarona felt he did indeed have plenty of chances before now when he was revealed to her. Any shots he must've taken could've been warning shots with dead wildlife being the first warning and the shots she personally witnessed being the second warning. The demonic assassin might not have given her a third warning if he was planning on shooting her next. He could've said those were warning shots, but didn't since saying so would've definitely portrayed him as antagonistic. Daimonji was already being suspicious; that much was certain.

Especially because he referred to only himself when he answered her. If one of his comrades was with him, Daimonji would not have alluded to them if he was trying to pick a fight and assassinate her. For all Macarona knew, he was distracting her from going to help Lil. The demonic lady must've been fighting her husband and the other cohorts of Satanick, particularly Yagi and Anten. The young angel took several deep breaths, planning her escape from Daimonji by considering her options. She could've continued to dodge his shots, but he would've followed her; even if he lost sight of her, the assassin could've still tracked her down. No, Macarona couldn't get away with him causing her problems while making her way towards Lil to regroup with her. She had to deal with Daimonji here and now after figuring out just where the demonic assassin was. She knew he was definitely nearby, most likely perched at a vantage point where he would've been well-positioned to see exactly where she was and where she'd go. Such precision made him a deadly foe.

Hence why Macarona chose to catch him off guard, and she proceeded to do so by running straight towards him. Leaving the cliff behind and running straight in the direction of his shots. One whizzed right past her and moments later another followed, this next one grazing her arm. Luckily it didn't penetrate her armor and was just a scratch. Not much damage was done, but even though she wore her armor, a single sniper shell would've certainly hurt a lot even to the point where a single critical wound just might've killed her eventually if a headshot didn't. The risk of death was high, though Macarona plunged forward anyway in spite of that risk because she knew charging Daimonji would force him to relocate elsewhere. The hunter would now become the hunted, and she felt sure her prey was withdrawing somewhat. The speed at which she approached him was crucial because of the timing. Depending on how fast Macarona was, the demonic assassin would've still been beating something of a hasty retreat. He could've gotten sloppy, making mistakes that could've given away where his trail was and forgetting to take important items with him. The less weight he carried, the better chance he had of getting away, but leaving stuff behind that would've helped him defeat her was a mistake in of itself. It was a double edged sword with him decreasing the burden of what he had to carry to avoid being encumbered by it while also decreasing whatever he had to deal with her. Yet he was also increasing his chances of leaving behind a trail of evidence for her to follow, allowing her to track Daimonji down based on what was left behind and whether or not he covered his own footprints to keep her from tailing him. Reloading the sniper rifle and getting a lock on Macarona took away the precious time he needed to get away too, for both not only kept him from firing rapidly, but getting away too. Though the sniper rifle may have been enchanted to possess more ammo—maybe even unlimited ammo—placing her in the crosshairs of his scope still affected the time it took for him to fire and escape even if he didn't need a scope.

It was a tense situation for both of them. Macarona was in the line of fire and she was running at Daimonji. He was missing his shots because she kept diving behind cover while dodging them just as he was wasting valuable time to get away towards a better location where he could conceal himself to fire further. If he didn't have unlimited ammo, Daimonji was certainly going to run out of shells for his sniper rifle very soon. The fact he wasn't withdrawing as she caught sight of his perch—a large, rocky cliff near Macarona's current position—made it seem like he was leading her towards him. The young angel gradually started to expect that, but wondered why he wasn't fleeing to safety yet. It appeared there might've been more going on than she originally thought, that Daimonji had a bodyguard to protect him from her if she did manage to reach him. Whoever it was, it could've been Yagi, Anten, or Satanick. One or more of those three could've been there with Daimonji if he had backup unless he was confident in his abilities to go solo against her.

"Bold of you to try and hold your ground!" Macarona commented aloud so he could hear her shout at him. She was testing whether or not he was leaving for better cover and another position to snipe her from by revealing where she was. He knew she was still heading towards him, but couldn't exactly see her because she dove into the undergrowth to avoid another shot while continuing to charge towards his position. Daimonji didn't answer, he only fired one last shot at Macarona just as she reached the base of the crag and hurried around it for a way up. Scaling it from below would've been difficult because he could've rained down more sniper shells upon her with whatever else he carried in his arsenal. That was why the angelic combatant rushed around his position for an easier way up that afforded her the maneuverability she needed to dodge anything else the demonic assassin had up his sleeve. She remained quiet, not saying a word as she finally located a path up and began running up it. Keeping her eyes in front of her and looking above her too to keep her eyes peeled for any attacks, Macarona ascended the mountainous cliff path towards her target. Daimonji had to be there.

Within a few minutes she arrived to find he had already cleared out—or so she thought since she realized he could've still been there, hiding somewhere within what appeared to be a cavern at the top or just above its entrance if he had time to climb up. Macarona could still see his sniper rifle set up at the edge of the cliff, overlooking the entire area she came from when approaching his position. "He's not present…" she murmured, walking forward to examine the spot…

…and then suddenly whirling around to block a strike from him. "Still here," Daimonji clarified for her.

Macarona breathed deeply, making eye contact as her pupils slowly glanced down at the weapon he wielded. "I can see that now," she responded, analyzing it in great detail. Initial investigation denoted it as a shield of sorts, one geared for defensive combat. It was metallic in design, groves extending from the center to show how it could be folded up in on itself. The steel alloy used to produce it was coated black like a night sky which demonstrated how an opponent going up against Daimonji wouldn't have been able to really see it. A sharp spike protruded from the center, clear evidence that the demonic assassin would simply have to bash somebody else to cause damage by stabbing the individual with his shield. Yet there was something odd which caught Macarona's gaze as she focused on it: four holes around the spike like points of a square. The young angel found it strange how a large, round shield like this one had holes in its design because the holes could've been weak spots that could've been exploited to either break the shield or pierce it to harm Daimonji. Macarona considered this idea, but discarded it when she thought about his sniper rifle. "A gun shield, am I right?"

"Correct, very perceptive; you certainly do have quite a detective's instincts as inferred from your book," the assassin remarked, his free hand lowering to a longsword sheathed at his hilt. Evidently there must've been a button located on the back of his gun shield to activate the mechanisms within that would fire the ammunition. "Except you're wrong on the count that I am here to target you. As I previously said, I am only here to do some hunting, that's all."

"Hunting Lil?" the angelic grappler asked suspiciously, still not buying that obviously blatant lie of his. "Then explain why you kept firing at me if you only came to hunt. You had no idea I was coming after you, Mr. Daimonji."

"You charged in the direction I was in and I assumed you took offense to the fact I was sniping in the general direction you were in," Daimonji explained his own reasoning for the offense. "I had thought you were coming after me, enraged that I was barging in on your own business without your permission. That was why I kept firing upon you."

"And I suppose any shots prior to that, including the two in my general vicinity, were warning shots?"

"Not at all."

"Yet that's a cover story isn't it?" Macarona demanded the truth, knowing the assassins weren't supposed to do anything that would've been detrimental to negotiations between this world and the Devil's Kingdom. "You're not here to hunt at all, are you? Mr. Satanick sent you after us didn't he? I'm guessing he and your other associates are already trying to capture Lil, am I right?" She scowled, wondering if Daimonji was going to reveal anything or tell more lies. Covering the truth was one thing, but trying to hide something that was going on when the affair was dishonest and would've caused harm was another thing entirely. Macarona expected him to keep sticking by this whole 'hunting' thing.

"I'm not here to hunt Miss Lil," the demonic assassin attempted to reassure her, not bothering to knock her back so he could relinquish her grip on the spike of his gun shield. However, the angel could clearly see through this remark.

"You might not, but that doesn't mean your associates aren't. You could be keeping us from regrouping."

"I said nothing about my comrades. That's just an accusation on your part, Miss Macarona."

"One that's based on what I already know," the angelic girl retorted. "Lil told me you and Mr. Anten are usually together on missions and I'm assuming this is one. You two might be inseparable, but he's not present here right now."

"Clever, I had not expected she'd reveal that much about us," Daimonji finally conceded defeat on the point.

"I guess that means my accusation does bear some truth to it after all, huh?" Macarona inquired rhetorically.

"Since you've seen right through me, I suppose I cannot deny it any longer. You'll not be alive for that much longer anyway, so perhaps you do deserve to know in your last moments of life," the assassin elaborated as if he was expecting to be victorious over her. His statement certainly conveyed his intentions to murder her. "Yes, like it not, Miss Macarona, our objective still stands. Even if Mr. Satanick cannot reacquire Miss Lil by way of diplomacy, we'll take her back by force. We'll do our best to ensure she's captured smoothly so as not to involve your world. Unfortunately, I'm afraid that last bit is no longer possible, for you have already deduced our intentions and why Anten and I are here. It's unfortunate for you that I must slay you here and now because of that since you'll persist in being a thorn in our side."

"You do realize if I go missing the authorities would search for me and eventually find my corpse, right?"

"I am a professional at cleaning evidence and hiding bodies," Daimonji asserted. "It'll be no trouble."

"It will be trouble, alright, because my disappearance while you guys are still in our world is reason enough to suspect you had a hand in it. They'll not suspect Lil because she's honest unlike you guys," Macarona stated. "You've already been found out even before the Gentleman Devil arrived, and there's only four of you who'd even consider performing actions that would incite tensions and hostilities between your underworld and my world." She wouldn't dare count Envi and Crea by lumping those two together with them. "A lot is against you guys because you have been discovered going to all this trouble for Lil. She's already said enough to us to warrant investigations. Your involvement and actions in this affair—while tangible evidence doesn't exist to prove it—is also something that proves Lil right."

"This was a difficult assignment, more so than most we've had to deal with," the assassin admitted freely. "I acknowledge the issues it raises and the problems it will cause if all goes wrong and continues to do so, but I cannot go against my orders. I am a loyal assassin of the current regime in the Devil's Kingdom and ask no questions of superiors."

"I admire your commitment, Mr. Daimonji," the angel complimented his sense of honor as far as his work ethic went in regards to his loyalty. "Though surely you must realize everything has already gone wrong for you by this point. You guys were caught and Mr. Satanick had to come negotiate in a diplomatic manner—well, I say diplomatic manner, but all he's done on that front is threaten us and our world. A blunt way of putting that, I know, but it is the truth."

"As intimidating as the threats are, intimidation is necessary to ensure one can acquire what's needed. Even if some time passes when something required is truly needed, as long as stuff is getting done there are no complaints and as much time can be spent trying to ensure it's in perfect condition. Quality and quantity are preferred when necessary."

"And the quality of those threats is important when they're about war over the quantity of just one person?" Macarona asked, uncertain of his logic regarding that because she couldn't understand the way he used that logic.

"True, it might not be enough, but I cannot do anything about that as I'm a loyal assassin," Daimonji stated.

"It isn't enough," the angel went on, "not enough for war, if you ask me. The way I see it, Mr. Satanick wouldn't ignore the benefits of acquiring resources and territories in a war against our world, hence why he'd still declare war."

"Maybe, though I must admit that I know nothing of that matter; only the higher ups have access to that kind of information and are allowed to know it. Somebody within a position like mine is not authorized to know beyond what must be done on missions," the assassin commented now that he was finished with letting her interrogate him. "Now, I believe this little conversation has come to an end. I have nothing more to say to you, Miss Macarona. You exhausted enough inquiries for information and found very little besides confirmation of why Anten and I are here. Unfortunately, you'll not live to inform your world's leaders and the authorities of it. I cannot let you escape alive with this knowledge."

"I expected as much," Macarona remarked, believing it was time for her to fight Daimonji. "I know fully well somebody like you wouldn't allow anybody to live because sparing their lives jeopardizes your assignments. I am quite aware of this and accept the fact. Still, I shall not go down so easily as you might think, for I am a pretty strong opponent."

"A risk I must take as ordered, but I do acknowledge that you're one of the four heroines who defeated Ivlis."

"Then shall we begin, Mr. Daimonji?" Macarona asked, feeling he was ready just as she was.

Daimonji nodded. "Yes, indeed," he responded. At once he clicked the button on the gun shield's handle to fire a round of four bullets into his angelic opponent. Yet Macarona was faster, whirling out of the way and tearing off the spike after building up somatomantic energy within her so he wouldn't have been able to stab her with a shield bash. "Tch…" Daimonji swore under his breath as the angel impeded one of his primary attacks with the shield. It didn't matter to him too much because he still had the ammo and his longsword which he drew at once to perform a vertical slash at her while unsheathing the blade. Once again Macarona sidestepped out of the way and immediately kicked the sniper rifle off the cliff to prevent him from using it as well. Still gripping the spike in one hand, she leapt off the cliff to fly down for it because she wanted to check if there was any ammo inside the gun which could've been removed. That was another reason why she let it fall, though the angelic combatant kept her eyes on Daimonji the entire time she fell. Her wings kept flapping as she used her strength to make powerful flaps to deflect the bullets the demonic assassin fired at her from his gun shield. Eventually she brushed past the treetops and landed safely on the ground where she quickly grabbed the sniper rifle and bolted for cover to check it for any ammo she could remove from it if there was still ammunition inside it.

"Out of shells…" she whispered to herself, listening carefully for Daimonji's approach after checking the chamber for any bullets. "He must be out of ammo or hasn't had an opportunity to reload yet…" Either way it was better he didn't have it any longer. Now she suppressed another means of assaulting her or anyone else. Two of Daimonji's attacks were no longer useful to him; all he had left was the longsword and the ammunition inside his gun shield. Glancing down at the spike and turning her head to the barrel of the sniper rifle and its scope as well, Macarona came up with an idea of how she could improve her odds of holding off the assassin until she eventually defeated him. Detaching the scope and the barrel from the sniper rifle, the young angel pocketed the spike and turned her head to check if Daimonji was nearby. Watching him cautiously saunter through the woods after he also landed, she carefully picked up a rock as quietly as she could and threw it when he wasn't looking. The rock hit a tree and bounced off into some bushes, catching the demon's attention as he fired off another round of four shots in the same direction he heard the sound come from. When he went to investigate, Macarona stealthily crept in another direction, leaving what was left of the sniper rifle behind.

Upon reaching the spot where he heard the noise, Daimonji knelt down and reached into the bushes for the corpse he thought he'd locate. Nothing was there aside from a few mice that scurried into holes when he checked. A snake lunged at him, attempting to bite its prey, but the assassin seized its head at the right moment in one hand. With the other he twisted its head to kill the snake and tossed it aside before standing up. "You know it is futile to run and hide," he taunted the angel, speaking aloud to address her in spite of the risk of somebody else hearing him. Anybody besides her would've heard the gunshots if the rounds were shot without the silencer equipped to muffle it. "I will find you soon as there is hardly anywhere for you to go even if you know this area well. I have already scouted it out thoroughly before."

"On your own you won't," Macarona called back and watched him turn around to determine where she was. Her voice was echoing throughout the forest like his had before, and she used this to her advantage. Hidden within a tree she climbed to secure high ground for a vantage point over him, she made sure the branches and leaves offered suitable cover to protect her from being seen too soon. She wanted to draw him away from her, but at the same time she knew one or two of his associates would've been nearby as well if one or two of them were trying to kidnap Lil. Macarona had an idea that she could capture Daimonji and perform a prisoner exchange if her demonic friend was indeed caught, but thought otherwise because Satanick might not have turned over his wife for an assassin. Yet the disadvantage in that was that Daimonji could've turned over any vital information he knew regarding anything the Gentleman Devil wanted to hide if he felt his superior wasn't going to bother doing something for his sake. However, there was a disadvantage on the end Macarona and Lil were on in that Satanick could've simply killed his subordinate if the angel came forward with Daimonji. In the event a prisoner exchange were to be utilized, she'd have to avoid meeting him in person and have somebody else deliver the terms to release Lil and leave the Gray Garden to get Daimonji back. Macarona would've needed to ensure another innocent civilian would get hurt by asking Etihw and Kcalb to make that proposal for her.

"What makes you think I'm going up against you on my own?" He raised a good point Macarona considered already because she was expecting to encounter one or two of his companions. It could've sounded as if Daimonji also knew that too because he would've been privy to the details concerning whoever it was and how many of them there were going up against the angelic girl. Then again, maybe he was alone and wanted to make her think an ally was present or not. If not, he could've done this to mess with her, a tactic he deployed to try and make Macarona paranoid or act a bit more cautiously than she currently was. Regardless, his trick would've helped her all the same because she wasn't afraid and the caution would've helped because then she'd also be focusing on the presence of any of his allies if any had been nearby to assist him. The young angel could've still fled because she'd have been outnumbered and knew it was not smart to take on more foes than she herself could handle alone. If she got Daimonji or one of his allies alone, she could take them out one on one by neutralizing them as threats. She wouldn't kill them; just knock them unconscious and then retreat.

Macarona bit her lip and poked a small stone into the barrel, wondering if it would've been a good idea to respond. Doing so might not have alerted him to her position due to the echoing effect, but she couldn't be sure if his allies were at his side or not if not within a general proximity of his presence. Anten probably could've been around, and he might not have remained hidden for very long based on the previous encounter with him. Satanick and Yagi might've been present, of perhaps only one of them was. However, the absence of either one from Gray Village where Kcalb and Etihw could've maintained a close watch on their presence would've come across as suspicious, especially since Lil and Macarona had taken the quest to hunt down those Dire Wolves and were also absent from the village. Then again, other citizens might've too, but Lil was with the angelic grappler, not them; Satanick and his subordinates were after her. It could've been plausible for Daimonji to fight her one on one right now without anyone else present, but she wasn't sure.

Building up some somatomantic energy in her right hand, she held the palm outstretched before immediately slamming it into the stone to propel it forward through the other end of the barrel. Her attack was muffled by the silencer still attached, though the sound of it hitting another tree got Daimonji's attention. He whirled to it and fired again as he started approaching in the direction the sound came from—the tree Macarona hid in was in that same direction. She caught sight of him as he gradually appeared, watching him check out much ammo was inside the gun shield's chamber. The assassin didn't speak up regarding it as she didn't see his mouth move at all, but she could tell he was becoming concerned with how much ammunition he had left. With another pebble she had picked up before climbing the tree, Macarona performed the same motion again to create another noise so she could observe his action in response to it. Suspecting he wasn't going to fire, her suspicion was proven true when she watched him merely aim where the noise she caused came from. Either he was getting low on ammunition, or he still had plenty and wanted to conserve it all. One of those two hypotheses was accurate, though the angel felt she didn't have much time to test either one now that he'd become aware of how much was left. Even if he didn't locate her exact position right away, he still wouldn't shoot.

Another pebble went into the barrel and she propelled it towards another tree behind the one she was in. Her plan was to lure Daimonji towards it so she could silently drop down upon him. With the barrel as a melee weapon, however inefficient it might've been, Macarona sought to use it as a counter to the longsword. With that blocking the blade, it was possible to go after the gun shield by shoving the spike into one of the barrels inside it. When he pulled the trigger if there was any ammunition left inside it, she'd dodge the bullets while the one barrel would explode to cause some damage to his hand and arm. Hopefully the blast wouldn't have been enough to slay him since Macarona didn't want to murder him, but it was an option of nullifying the gun shield since disarming him of it might've been difficult. Then she'd disarm him of the blade prior to knocking the demonic assassin unconscious so she could regroup with Lil to help her fight off any opponents she was dealing with. This was her only chance to neutralize Daimonji without killing him, and she took it.

Waiting for the right moment and watching him pass under her position, Macarona seized the opportunity at once when he was right where she wanted him. Quietly slipping off the branch, she removed the spike from her pouch and got ready to plug up one of the barrels in his gun shield. Just as she was about to land upon him, however, the assassin noticed her descending shadow get smaller around him and whirled to counter her assault. "Got you," he said while turning, raising his shield to block the attack and pressing the trigger to fire four shells at her. Spinning out of the way to dodge them, Macarona landed next to him and threw her arm out to lash at him with the sniper rifle barrel. Daimonji countered her with the longsword as she expected, using this opening to shove the spike in the gun shield. Kicking against him to leap back prior to hearing him press the trigger once again, she avoided three bullets this time. Her plan had paid off when the barrel by the dexter base exploded, destroying the gun shield by causing a chain reaction of three additional explosions that went off in the other barrels. Daimonji cried out and braced himself for the damage it dealt to him as he was thrown backwards onto the ground. The force of all four explosions at once, while each individually small, was enough to deal a significant critical hit to cripple him. His longsword flew out of his hand and landed near where his body fell. Hearing groans of pain from his body, Macarona knew he was still breathing and alive in spite of the destruction.

She sighed in relief, shutting her eyes momentarily and quickly moving to put out small sparks of flames that spread around the spot where the explosions occurred. Thankfully there wasn't any foliage by the area so a forest fire would not have erupted to become a severe issue. "Well, at least you survived that as I hoped. You're lucky to be alive."

"T-tch…" Daimonji could hardly stand. The force of that explosion dealt a hard blow to his left leg besides burning his clothes and part of his face. The goggles were slightly busted and cracked; a large chunk of one half had separated from the eyewear and was embedded within the ground like the longsword that also broke because of the explosion. Although his appearance seemed singed, his outfit was still fine even if burned; his body might have been charred, though he was okay somewhat. "T-that was a d-dirty trick, Miss M-Macarona…" he murmured weakly.

"Well, to be fair the gun shield would've been a dirty trick had this been night," Macarona pointed out, using the soles of her boots to ground out the tiny fires. If she'd been using her regular shoes and wasn't attired in leather chainmail armor, she'd have probably caught fire too. "Oh, and lying to me about hunting was one too. Sniping me was another." A part of her wanted to stop right there, but there was something else she had to add: elaboration on the sniping. "You've assumed I was going to attack you, hence why you fired at me. I could've been going after something else entirely."

The demonic assassin breathed heavily, struggling to push himself up into a sitting position. "T-touché…"

"Need help?" Macarona offered in spite of common sense dictating that she shouldn't have done that since he was still an assassin in opposition to her. Yet it was the honorable thing to do which was why she put forth her inquiry.

"I-I'm good…" Daimonji responded, settling for simply holding the upper half of his torso up and leaning against a large rock jutting out of the ground. "I-I've suffered worse than t-this before I-I got better at my job…s-seems I underestimated you, Miss Macarona. Y-You're obviously skilled for a high school student." He tried to open his eye that had been revealed by the broken goggles, but it too was burned and couldn't open as it would've been painful. "The responsibility for my loss is my fault as well, for although I had known you'd try to pull that trick luring me right where you wanted me, I plodded along into your trap. Unfortunate, though back-up would've ensured your downfall."

"Depending on where your back-up was and where it might be if around," the young angel clarified, wanting to reach Lil as soon as possible to check on her friend. However, she also wanted to be sure Daimonji was alright and that nobody would've been following her. "You truly were alone when fighting me, weren't you? You were the only one I could hear walking in this part of the woods. Where is Mr. Anten? Have Mr. Satanick and Mr. Yagi come as well?"

Daimonji sighed, figuring he might as well entertain the brief interrogation. "They're not here, but Anten went after Miss Lil. We were instructed to tail you and take immediate action. Anten was to capture Lil since Mr. Satanick allowed him the opportunity to get revenge for his previous loss against you and her. My orders were to keep you from interfering and to assassinate you if necessary. That's all I know; I can assure you of that." He had no choice but to be honest with her because she had beaten him. It was surprising, a professional assassin like him losing to a high school student. Still, however humiliating it was, he had his honor as an assassin; even so, he had the decency to acknowledge his defeat which was why he granted her that much. However, he still couldn't give much. "Even if I did, my position and honor as a loyal assassin of Mr. Satanick permits me from elaborating any further. You understand, Miss Macarona?"

Macarona nodded. "Yes, I understand," she responded. "Shall I call a patrol of guards to come heal you?"

"That won't be necessary," a voice from her left and Daimonji's right said as they turned to face the speaker, puzzled by his sudden appearance while wondering why he had come. "We appreciate the aid," Satanick went on as he finished warping into the space they occupied, "but we can handle things here. I'll assume control of the aftermath."

"Sir?" the demonic assassin said, pondering why the Gentleman Devil showed himself. "I thought you were back in Gray Village. Were you there all this time, or have you just arrived to check on our progress with this mission?"

"I have been here the whole time, observing your actions, Daimonji," the Gentleman Devil responded and strolled up to the longsword. The weapon was split in half while he examined it casually like a shopper going over a product he wished to purchase. "As cautious as ever even though you still lost to an angelic schoolgirl. How inadequate."

"My apologies, sir," Daimonji apologized. "It won't happen the next time."

"He did his best," Macarona spoke up on his behalf, taking a step back now that Satanick appeared. Going up against a Devil by herself was foolish even if she had managed to take down one already. When she fought Ivlis, she had her friends with her. Now she only had Lil, but the two of them were separated. She might've been the reincarnated descendant of Rigatona, but facing a Devil one on one was going to be tough, even for her. Macarona wanted to use this opportunity to withdraw, but felt turning her back on him was a mistake that would've cost her dearly. "He fought well."

"Oh, I don't doubt that at all, Macarona," Satanick responded to her, acknowledging his subordinate's work which somehow came across as surprising to them. "You're right, he has fought well and did his very best as you say." He turned his head to address the assassin. "Though I'm afraid there won't be a next time, Daimonji. You may think ill of this statement considering the context it's usually delivered in. However, it shall come as a surprise to you that you've done exactly what I expected of you. You've fulfilled your purpose precisely the way I wanted you to as I had intended."

Daimonji was surprised by this knowledge. "Excuse me?" he asked, unsure of why his superior was actually complimenting him on a job well done for something he failed to accomplish. "Pardon me, sir, but I'm afraid I do not understand your meaning. Was there another objective to our assignment we had to fulfill on any additional orders?" Usually he made sure the Gentleman Devil gave explicit instructions and never left out any details if Satanick forgot any. Daimonji did just that last night during their meeting after Envi left and the Gentleman Devil said there weren't any.

"Yes…" Satanick murmured somewhat sinisterly. "About that…" In an instant a shadowy form burst out of his cape and attached itself to the broken blade, assuming the shape of it to replace the end that had once been there. With a quick motion, he slashed the air downwards while facing Daimonji. The newly reformed longsword didn't connect because Satanick and Daimonji were several feet apart, so the attack shouldn't have harmed the latter unless magic was applied to the blade besides the shadow that mended it. And yet somehow…the demonic assassin fell over dead. It seemed as if his death was proceeding in slow motion in Macarona's eyes as she watched the Gentleman Devil murder his assassin without a care in the world. Slowly her mind began to put pieces of this together to form a picture that, in spite of still being incomplete, was enough to shock her just as Daimonji's death was. Satanick had just killed him without hesitation or remorse, slaying the subordinate he sent after her to keep the young angel from reuniting with Lil. Before killing him, he complimented Daimonji on a job well done as if the assassin had actually succeeded in his endeavor.

In his final moments of life, Daimonji muttered a name under his breath which she caught. "C-Cos…mea…"

"Ah, yes, the angel from the Corporate Heaven who dotes on you," Satanick commented as he apparently caught this murmur too. "Yes, I'll be sure to have somebody deliver both the bad news and the killer straight to her."

"The killer…" Macarona whispered, taking a step back as she suddenly realized what the Gentleman Devil was planning to do based on that remark. She looked directly at Satanick. "You killed him…your own subordinate…"

"You have no tangible evidence that is concrete and solid to support that allegation, Macarona," Satanick said while turning to face her. "Without it, you'll not be able to prove your innocence. The crime of harming Daimonji and ending his life is entirely your fault; his blood is on your hands…" As he spoke shadows flowed outward from below him. They expanded everywhere, covering the entire area. The ground was consumed by this darkness which quickly rose up to engulf the sky as if day was immediately turning into night. Yet all was black and Macarona could not see anything in front of her, nor could she hear anything at all. The poor angel felt trapped, unable to move any part of her body. This intense darkness didn't scare her, nor did the realization even though it and Daimonji's death shocked her. What worried her wasn't just what Satanick meant, but what his true intentions might've been all along—what he'd been planning for her instead of focusing only on Lil and trying to get his wife back. The young angel attempted to think of something fast, though couldn't because she was immediately interrupted by a sharp pang of sheer, intense pain within her abdomen. Macarona choked, the shocked expression on her face conveying just how shaken she was as she gasped for breath in excruciating pain. Satanick's shadows soon dissipated, retracting back where they originally came from. His position, being directly in front of her, was made clear to the angelic grappler…as was the longsword which was pointing behind her, slightly resting on the side of her arm. It was now when Macarona could see that the Gentleman Devil hadn't stabbed her—he stabbed her shadow that somehow connected the critical blow he dealt to her. While she didn't feel a wound opening up in her chest, the sheer pain was excruciating and very real enough for her to feel it as he withdrew the weapon and let her fall forward onto the ground. "There, that should subdue you for some time…" the Gentleman Devil stated while looking around the area for proof, "just as that should eliminate the rest of the evidence I'm covering up."

The evidence…Macarona blinked, trying to stay conscious for a few moments longer. She felt too weak to speak, though attempted to build up whatever was left of her strength to use it. As her arms were still over her stomach where her shadow was stabbed to connect his strike against her, the young angel reached a shaky hand into the pouch clipped to the belt of her armor. Removing the bullet she had pocketed before, Macarona pushed it into a hole below where she was lying. Managing to get it there just as a portal was beginning to open underneath her, the angelic girl pulled her arm back just as her consciousness finally faded and her eyes closed. The portal expanded, letting her fall through.

"MACARONA!" Lil shouted her name out while flying towards the space on a cloud of bats, calling out the angel's name as Macarona's limp form disappeared into the portal. "MACARONA!" she repeated, reaching the area. Unfortunately, she was too late to prevent her husband from taking her angelic friend away from her. "MACARONA!" Her cries for the young angel went unheeded because Macarona was unconscious. All Lil could do was seize the spot where her friend was lying in her limp form before her spouse had conjured up that portal to spirit the angel away.

Satanick merely shut his eyes, taking a pen out from his pocket while removing a document from within his coat. Using a copy of _Dynol Peiriant: Portrait of A Conspiracy_ as a hard surface—perhaps to add insult to injury by using Macarona's book for this purpose—he jotted some things down upon the paper before putting all three objects away when he finished. "So sorry, Lil, but it appears you're too late. What happened was not your fault even if you're to blame for it anyway. Now do you understand the consequences of your actions as of late?" he asked to taunt his wife.

Lil growled, seething in rage over what he had done to Macarona. "YOU BASTARD!" she shouted angrily.

…

 **Nothing like a tense chapter to put you on the edge of your seat. It's quite a long chapter at that since the boss fight against Daimonji is not really a typical sort of boss battle one may encounter. This was done on purpose because I wanted to attempt a different approach than just action itself. The action is still there, though I suppose you could also say it involves a bit of puzzle solving as Macarona led Daimonji to his defeat. That was a fun boss fight to write because of how creative it was, so I hope some of you enjoyed reading the battle and how it went.**

 **A shame a duck was killed off; Wadanohara's going to be quite upset over this. Though with regards to Daimonji's death, it was necessary for two reasons. The first was because of what it shall mean which I shall reveal in the next chapter. Second, I also want to incorporate Cosmea, the angel who loves him, in the story; she'll appear a bit later on and will have a small role to play, though I am wondering if I'll make her a boss fight too.**

 **Dire Wolves are prehistoric wolves or dogs that were similar in size to Gray Wolves, though had a much sturdier frame in their build. They lived in the Rancholabrean Age of North America, but went extinct during the Pleistocene Epoch, mainly the Quaternary Extinction Event. You can learn more about this on Wikipedia.**

 **Gun shields are basically shields attached to military equipment to protect soldiers. They not only give them cover, but also allow them to fire their weapons out of a hole or a space enabling them to shoot from the protection of their gun shields. You can also find this out on Wikipedia, though the gun shields I based Daimonji's own gun shield off of somewhat were the Turkish Gun-Shield and the Indian Shield with Pistols as far as the idea and design went. It looks different in the story because I wanted it to appear somewhat different than the pictures in The Illustrated History of Weaponry: From Flint Axes to Automatic Weapons by Chuck Wills, the author of the book who wrote it—he either collaborated with the Berman Museum on it, or worked on it as a member of the museum's faculty. It's certainly an interesting book on how weapons gradually evolved over time in history.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own The Illustrated History of Weaponry: From Flint Axes to Automatic Weapons; it's owned by Chuck Wills—and maybe the Berman Museum as well since it appears he's associated with it.**


	18. Chapter Eighteen: The Devil's Kingdom

"YOU LOUSY SON OF A BITCH! YOU CONNIVING DIPSHIT!" Lil persisted in her screaming rampage against her husband, lividly furious with him for what he had done to Macarona. They stood within the office where Kcalb and Etihw worked, the Goddess and Devil of this world watching the argument unfold before them. Nothing was said, neither of them getting involved just yet since they were waiting for the demonic lady to quiet down. The only dialogue heard throughout the room—and a couple floors down since Lil's enraged voice penetrated the floors—was Lil's angry screaming. Yagi and Wodahs were present as well, the two leaning against the walls opposite to one another as they too observed the argument progress. It was a bit one-side for the moment since Satanick did not say anything yet, letting his wife yell all she wanted while waiting for an opportunity to speak if she'd let him have one. "OF ALL THE THINGS YOU'VE DONE, YOU ALREADY GONE WAY BEYOND CROSSING THE LINE NOW! YOU COME AFTER ME, THEN PROCEED TO ATTACK MY FRIEND, AND NOW YOU'VE GONE AND KIDNAPPED HER! YOU'RE A SACK OF SHIT, YOU ASSHOLE!" Breathing heavily while allowing her throat to rest, the demonic lady stormed over to Etihw's desk and seized a water pitcher on it to pour a glass of water for herself. Gulping it down vigorously, she slammed it down upon the desk with such force it almost cracked. Whipping her head back to the Gentleman Devil, she demanded a full explanation from him at once. "WELL?!"

"I'm assuming I may now have the floor, Kcalb?" Satanick checked with Kcalb first before speaking.

"In a moment," the Devil of the Gray Garden responded to his question and then put forward what they wanted to hear from the other Devil. "Explain yourself, Satanick. No more lies. Explain to us why you have taken Macarona hostage. The guards we've had observing you and your assassins to inform us of any actions you took reported in saying four of you—you, Yagi, and two of your assassins—have suddenly disappeared a short while ago. They could not locate you at all, but don't say you believe the scrutiny was unfounded considering what you and your men have already done."

"I do not need to for you already have just now," the Gentleman Devil commented, probably to annoy him. "But what else can I say with regards to that detail? I appreciate your accommodations for my subordinates and I, but really, watching us all the time makes both parties look suspicious. We're treated like outsiders not welcome in your world, whereas you come across as a government spying on others for whatever your purpose may be regarding us."

"We just want to make sure you won't threaten our people and harm them again," Etihw clarified for him. "Do not presume you're not responsible for anything. Your actions as of late have escalated into physical violence. You've throttled Macarona after one of your assassins attacked her and Lil, plus you've threated to go to war against us just to reclaim her. Of course, it's not just about Lil now, is it? Resources, territory…" She rested her elbows on the desk and leaned forward, her face darkening in anger directed at the Gentleman Devil. "There's no way you'd ignore those."

"Under any other circumstances I wouldn't, but not this time," Satanick remarked from his seat in the center of the room. "I've given you the chance to avoid a war with my underworld and hoped you'd take it to avoid bloodshed so that I could avoid having to waste precious resources on an invasion and conquest of a pitiful world. All I wanted was my wife back, though apparently unforeseen complications arose when the latest…incident erupted to ignite tensions."

"BULLSHIT YOU WANTED ME BACK! YOU KIDNAPPED MACARONA!" Lil screamed in rage.

"I've arrested her myself, true, though my intention behind that was quite just, I'll assure you," Satanick began explaining his reasoning. "You see, I was casually strolling through the woods when I overheard a conflict occurring nearby. When I went to investigate, I found one of my subordinates, Daimonji, lying on the ground in a pool of blood. He was unarmed, but his killer stood over him with a blade she acquired by whatever means she felt necessary. Macarona slew him in cold blood because she was upset that we had come into your world to demand Lil back, so she took the matter into her own hands to keep my wife here in your world. I only did what was necessary to prevent further harm."

"Your story's already full of holes," Wodahs chimed in from where he stood. "Precisely why was Daimonji there? Why did you not bring Macarona to us so we could hear her side of the story? Where is the evidence of this crime?" He was asking very good questions, putting forth the issues that were demanded to be answered honestly.

"Oh, I've already handled all of that so you wouldn't have to trouble yourself," the Gentleman Devil stated with a wave of his hand to brush the concerns aside. "Though for the sake of elaboration at your request, I will give you a summary of what I've done. I've personally interrogated the young angel fully and collected all the evidence to hold onto it. I've spoken with Anten and he informed me that Daimonji had gone out for a bit to do some hunting in the area."

"You're so full of shit, dipshit husband!" Lil shouted, lowering her voice this time. "I was with Macarona to hunt some Dire Wolves. We split up to cover more ground. Soon enough Anten was already in my sight when he showed his ugly mug to attack me for a while before Yagi arrived to collect him. I knew Daimonji was nearby too because he and Anten are always together on assignments you hand out to them. When he didn't show himself, eventually I figured he'd gone after Macarona. I didn't know why until I thought about why they came until a couple minutes into my fight with Anten. And when I'd gone to try and help Macarona after Yagi showed up, I saw you wielding that damned blade, dipshit husband! You're the one who killed Daimonji and pinned the blame on Macarona all so you could finally have a motive to usher in your damn invasion! I knew you were looking to sign a declaration of war against this world!"

"That's a pretty convincing story, Lil," Satanick said to give her a bit of credit. However, he wasn't done with making the point known that it was just that in his eyes: a story. A story meant to persuade others of its validity with the truth his wife believed she knew—except what she was saying was accurately true one hundred percent. Even so, he wasn't going to let her make that truth known. "Unfortunately, you have no tangible proof to support your theory."

"Do too!" the demonic lady made that childish remark and smirked at him, reaching into a pocket of her dress and pulling something out. Setting it down on Etihw's desk for the Goddess to examine it with Kcalb as he sauntered towards Etihw's desk too, her grin widened in satisfaction. "See, I've recovered a bullet from the crime scene, a piece of crucial evidence that points to you and your damn subordinates being the culprits. Proof you're full of complete shit."

"All that bullet proves is that Daimonji was hunting," Yagi finally spoke up. "He was on a quest to hunt ducks."

"Note the specific type of bullet, asshole," Lil retorted and pointed at the bullet. "It's a sniper shell, specifically from a sniper rifle, a gun utilized to assassinate targets from long range. If Daimonji were hunting ducks as you say, I can call your bluff by putting forth the fact that a sniper rifle is overkill for simple animals like ducks. A hunting rifle would have sufficed, though even that is impossible. You see, there is a law in this world stating that no guns are allowed; they're not to even be wielded by foreigners just as the inhabitants of this world are not allowed to use them. If this bullet were a crossbow bolt, your account might make sense because you'd have been conforming with the law. Of course, to even acquire one means you'd have to sign up to become a town guard or a soldier in the military. Shooting ranges permit citizens to use them because they're allowed to, but citizens cannot under any circumstances keep any crossbows."

"I see you've studied this world's legislature well, Lil," Satanick complimented her on her knowledge of that.

"Exactly, so I already know the presence of this sniper shell Macarona carefully left behind even after you've covered up everything else by stealing it all is definitive evidence that proves I'm right!" Lil declared to her husband.

"Except you were way too far back to even witness what happened," Yagi countered her argument. "Plus you've also forgotten that Mr. Satanick utilized a spell to darken the entire area so he could subdue the angel with ease without putting himself at risk by taking her on without it. She wouldn't have seen him take her down, and neither would you have either because of how dark it all was. You wouldn't have seen the angel hide the bullet deep in the ground."

"Ha, you've just slipped, Yagi! You said it was in the ground before I did, so you do know about it!" Lil said to taunt him with her victory over that statement. "You might've known about the spell if my dipshit husband informed you he used it, but you wouldn't have known either because you weren't there either! Therefore you're in on this scheme!"

"She has a point, Yagi," the Gentleman Devil concurred with her deduction. "Still, it does not matter anymore."

"It totally does matter, dipshit," Lil spat back. "If Yagi was there, he'd know exactly where Macarona hid the bullet. He'd also know she even had it; and just to put the cherry on top, I saw Macarona was lying face down on her belly despite being a bit far to make out other details. You still wouldn't have seen her hide the bullet even then. I discovered it only when I was scrabbling at the ground in disbelief that my dipshit husband actually did what he did before I saw it and realized the truth. Macarona left this bullet behind before you assholes nabbed her after my dipshit husband committed murder and framed her for it. She somehow figured out that the other evidence was covered up and left it for us to find prior to the opening of that portal you've constructed to whisk her away. This is our proof of your intentions, assholes."

"There is truth in her argument," Kcalb spoke up after he and Etihw analyzed the bullet. "It certainly is some definitive evidence; granted, it's just a single piece. However, your words and this evidence are still tangible enough to warrant suspicion and action against you. Furthermore, your Chancellor and Marshal has also stated that Daimonji was hunting ducks for a quest. We'll run that by with the civilians of Gray Village and any tourists who have come to the area so we can determine the validity of that. If no such quests were filed in accordance with the customs established to file quests, we can certainly rule that out unless it was an unofficial quest, like say maybe a favor for somebody else."

"Oh, Anten was likely the recipient for such a favor," Satanick added. "He did say Daimonji was hunting for a quest. If it was unofficial, it would certainly fulfill that parameter. Though if you're seriously going to take action due to a single piece of evidence that hardly proves my intentions, then I see no reason to continue negotiations any further." Getting out of the chair, he stepped over to the Etihw's desk and removed a document from a pocket in his coat before unfolding it to set the file down on the desk. "There, this would be my declaration of war against the Gray Garden to distribute justice upon your world for the death of a demon from my hell at the hands of an angel from your world."

"The name of our world is already very dry, much like most of the rest of this ink," Etihw commented on the writing. "Even your own signature is that old. The only phrase that isn't is the crime itself, but every other word in the line is also dry." She looked up at the Gentleman Devil, scowling at him while Kcalb read the declaration of war further for anything else that could've been gleamed from it. "You've obviously been planning this for a long time already." Her accusation was correct, and she seized the bullet before Satanick could snatch it away. "Nope, this evidence is ours."

"All of my declarations of war are like that," the Gentleman Devil briefly explained. "I have declarations of war against all of the heavens and all of the underworlds too in case I am called upon to help allies invade the former in their own worlds and put down threats to Her Majesty in the underworlds. I only included the Gray Garden as one such threat because Kcalb is a former vassal of Her Highness and you both could decide to invade any hells, including our own Devil's Kingdom if you so desired a conflict with our underworld. The offense Macarona committed might not be a testament of sorts revealing that, but even so I must enact this declaration of war for the sake of justice for Daimonji."

"By holding her hostage without giving her a fair trial?" Wodahs inquired, wondering what Satanick planned to do with the angelic girl. "Or are you planning on slaughtering her to cover up her presence in the Devil's Kingdom?"

"Either option can suffice, I will admit," Satanick replied to his inquiry while strolling away from the desk. "Either way, I still hold an advantage over your world. I can give you one last chance to return Lil in exchange for the young angel—a prisoner exchange if you will. If you follow through, I shall call off the invasion; unfortunately for you, however, I cannot say the same for any raids my demons commit against your world. You may feel free to rout them, though not kill them; otherwise I shall be obligated to renew the declaration of war against the Gray Garden for that."

"How do we know you won't kill her after getting Lil back?" Kcalb posed the concern the other Devil raised without saying it. "If we were to agree to this exchange, we'd have to come to your underworld to perform this."

"Out of the question, my earlier statement the other day still stands," the Gentleman Devil denied them that. "I cannot allow anybody from your world to enter the Devil's Kingdom for whatever reason—Macarona barred of course because she is our hostage—because to do so would possibly give you access to Her Majesty so you can either kidnap or kill her. As a loyal vassal of Her Majesty, I shall not stand for such threats and will see to it that all threats are not allowed into the Devil's Kingdom for that reason alone. You understand, don't you? Send Lil back to me at once, have nobody follow her through the portal in the Corporate Heaven that leads to my underworld. I promise to send Macarona back."

"Your promise is empty because you won't let us confirm whether she's alive and okay or not," Wodahs said, the accusation being a firm, yet valid one because of the very reason the Gentleman Devil himself provided them.

"Call it what you will, though know I'm giving you three days in your world to decide," Satanick stated.

"Oh, we don't need three days, our decision already stands," Lil retorted coldly, seething with rage. "You want war?" she then asked and defiantly stuck up both middle fingers at him while closing her eyes. "THEN IT'S WAR, YOU ASSHOLE! WE'LL BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF YOU BY KICKING YOUR ASSES, DIPSHITS!"

"I doubt that coming from a woman who isn't even a Devil and is siding with a pathetic world that cannot hope to secure any victories over my well trained legions with their shoddily taught militias," the Gentleman Devil retorted back at her while stepping closer to Yagi. "Now if you'll excuse us, we've got to depart. We must be making preparations for war by raising our troops and arming them before giving the order to mobilize against the Gray Garden. As you are so eager for war, Lil, I see no need for negotiations any longer. I shall conquer this world and reclaim you, mark my words. The inhabitants of the Gray Garden can thank you; they have welcomed you into their world with open arms, but will begin wishing they rejected you and cast you out when my entire army comes knocking at their door. It is all your fault."

"Look who's talking, jackass!" his wife insulted him as they warped out. "You started this to begin with!"

…

She groaned a little in pain, still feeling the sharp sting that left her in agonizing pain before. Her stomach still ached from when Satanick had stabbed her with the longsword—more precisely, he stabbed her shadow. Macarona didn't know exactly how something like that could've been done and still inflict a deadly blow to her, but at best she'd chalk it up to his powers as a Devil. She was somewhat conscious even if her eyes were closed and she kept breathing slightly heavily, recovering from the nasty blow as best she could. Eventually her eyelids managed to twitch while her body rolled over on its side before her eyes gradually opened to bright lights in a well-lit room. Struggling into a sitting position, the young angel raised her arm up to rub the back of her head, strangely feeling a tad comfortable for some reason until she fully opened her eyes to find herself in a bed. Glancing around the room, she could see a cedar door on the opposite wall next to a mahogany dresser which itself was positioned next to a desk with a vanity above it. Pieces of jewelry and a set of make-up adorned the desk's surface with a few pairs of earrings on the nightstand next to the bed, just under a tall lamp towering above it. The other side of the room featured a much taller mirror and display cases under shuttered windows that were closed. Inside the display cases were various tomes, perhaps quite rare ones from the looks of them which was unlike the plain texts she could make out on two bookcases on the wall opposite the bed's position.

Checking herself for any injuries besides the one she had, the angel found there weren't any. Her armor was nowhere to be seen, indicating it was removed. Thankfully she was still wearing her normal outfit and not something else.

Gently swinging her legs over with a hand on her belly as she mumbled in pain, the angelic girl managed to stand up on her own and tested if she was able to walk by herself. Finding she could, Macarona made her way to the window nearest her and pulled back the shutters. Gazing outside into a town blanketed by nightfall, she watched the figures of demons walking all around the town doing whatever it was they were doing. "A town?" she murmured to herself in a soft tone of voice, not wanting anyone to hear her if any demons were nearby. "This doesn't appear to be Blancblack Castle and that's not Gray Village." If that was the case, then where was she? Was she still within the Gray Garden somewhere where she could likely find her way home? Another thought occurred to her whilst she was observing the town. Could she have been taken to the Devil's Kingdom by the Gentleman Devil? It felt possible since Satanick had opened that portal, so maybe this was her whereabouts. Knowing this was the hell of the Pitch Black World deemed it possible to get home by finding the Corporate Heaven which was also in this world. Her only problem, however, was that she didn't know which direction it was in. Up seemed likely because the axis of worlds was usually constructed in a manner where underworlds were below mortal realms that were themselves below heavens. It was a standard norm, but Macarona realized not every world was like that and felt the Pitch Black World could've been an example of just that. This was her first time here in this underworld, after all, in spite of learning about it in school.

Looking down at the books in the display cases and then averting her attention towards those on the bookcases, the young angel carefully studied the texts to see if she could recognize the languages. All the words felt different and so did their pronunciations. The rare texts on display seemed different than the books shelved neatly on the shelves. As she couldn't understand a word they said even after she rifled through them, picking manuscripts and novels at random before replacing them back where they belonged, Macarona sighed and strolled to the door. "Figures I wouldn't know what these books say. It is a different world that speaks a different language." Trying the doorknob by turning it, she tested whether the door could be opened; nothing happened, yet she learned it had to be pulled. "Great, it's locked…" Once again she was a prisoner in another underworld unfamiliar to her apart from what she had heard and learned about it.

It wasn't the first underworld she'd been a prisoner in, so at least she was familiar with this type of condition.

Strolling back to the bed and throwing herself on it, Macarona was thankful it was at least comfortable. The décor and furniture were nice even if the walls, a striped pattern of red and purple satin color, didn't fit with the room's style in her perspective. When she and her friends were prisoners in the Flame Underworld during Ivlis' invasion, they had nothing; they were just locked in an ordinary prison cell until Reficul rescued them. Here Macarona was alone and had a bed; nothing else in this room appeared useful besides the bed. She didn't even have a chair or a table, but felt fine because the bed would've sufficed. To say she was fine felt like an understatement when she really wasn't; in spite of slight comfort, she was still a prisoner—albeit one in a much better room than some moldy old prison cell in a dungeon.

Putting her arms back behind her head, Macarona shut her eyes to ponder what she could've done. She was basically in the same situation as when she was imprisoned in the Flame Underworld. This time, however, nobody would've come to her rescue just yet. Additionally, she was alone without her friends or anyone else for that matter. Lil might've come, though Macarona didn't want her to get captured by her husband and his forces. That left her virtually alone with nobody she really know. The only other individuals that came to mind were GriRea, Killie's family, and Lil's son, Glasses. Her Majesty was a friendly face the young angel would've liked to see, though she didn't know if GriRea lived in this particular region of the Devil's Kingdom. She never met Glasses or Killie's family either, only hearing about them from Lil. Macarona recalled a guy named Sullivan too, though hadn't heard much about him and thus couldn't be sure if he might've been of some aid to her even if he was a warden of sorts. In the end she was by all alone by herself.

"Let's see…what to do, what to do…" In spite of the situation and the small pang of loneliness she felt, the angelic girl was taking it rather well. Back when she was a prisoner in the Flame Underworld, she had cried a lot since she believed they wouldn't have been saved. Before that, she cried; a bit afterwards, she still cried until she smashed Emalf. Beating that Flame Demon felt good, reassuring even as she found her courage then. That was why she maintained her calm demeanor while waiting for something to happen. She might've been a prisoner again, but Macarona expected somebody would've come in to see her. Whoever it was would've likely been armed with weapons or magic because she was considered a threat. Satanick framed her for the murder of Daimonji and the crime would've likely contributed to a war and most likely immediately lead to it. While the idea of escaping sounded appealing, it didn't because she didn't know her way around this place, let alone the very building she was in. All she knew was this room and that was it. As a hostage of war, Macarona could do very little apart from doing whatever such prisoners did; she would try and assert herself by requesting that others show some respect for her, but that was unlikely in a hell full of many hostile demons.

Minutes passed before she heard the sound of a door out in what may have been a corridor outside the door open. Listening intently to the noise, she could hear wheels coming closer to this room. Although she knew it must've been a demon, Macarona recognized it was probable that the individual in question could've simply walked right by the door to this room and not come in. Being ignored might've been preferable since she didn't want to really deal with any hostile enemies, though she needed more information on her predicament and hoped whoever was out there came in. Her wish appeared to be granted when she heard the sound of keys jingling on the other side of the door when the wheels stopped. Still, there might've been another door nearby; fortunately, her door was chosen when she heard the lock be unlocked prior to the door being pushed open by the demon outside. Macarona didn't see who it was at first, though eventually she did after the demon rolled a table bearing a tablecloth on which silverware, tea, and a platter of food rested on top. Following her entrance, the demon turned around to quickly lock the door behind her so the angel wouldn't escape. The contradiction in that was that Macarona could've simply knocked her out to steal the keys and unlock the door again to flee, though the angel harbored no intentions of doing that because she still did not know her precise location and also was unsure of how strong this one demon could've been. If they fought, she might've either lost or won.

Instead, she chose to analyze the demonic maid that entered the room. From the look of her hair, Macarona guessed this young lady was a Gorgon because her hair consisted of white snakes with a few streaks of pink. She also wore a black bow in her hair which matched the color of a somewhat frilly black dress that bore a red bow at the top while covering a white dress shirt and petticoat of the same color as her dress shirt. Even her dress shoes were black and had ribbons on them. However, it was her eyes that made the Gorgon look unique and very pretty, for they consisted of yellow irises in red sclera. The Gorgon had a slender build, appearing nervous because she shivered a bit while setting up the table by attaching a side piece attached to the left side that hung over the empty space underneath. Judging a book by its cover was a lesson Macarona was fully aware of, but it didn't seem like this Gorgon was here to threaten her. She expected armed guards, not a maid serving her a meal. Then again, her stomach was growling indicating she was quite hungry, so Macarona figured she'd place her trust in this demon and attempt to tease out some crucial information from her.

"Excuse me," she spoke up to get the Gorgon's attention. Her inquiry received a rather defensive response from the Gorgon when the poor girl jumped. Startled by the sudden attention she was receiving, the maid held her hands over her mouth and trembled. The snakes that comprised her hair hissed at Macarona in defense of her, though made no move to lash out at the angel. The Gorgon took a couple steps back and suddenly cried out after she tripped over her own feet and stumbled, but luckily regained her balance by seizing the bookcase nearest her and hurried to finish her task. As she did so, the demon failed to realize she had dropped her keys which Macarona caught sight of. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the angel got off the bed and strode towards the keys with the maid being none the wiser due to being preoccupied in her rush to get the food served. Uncovering the platter to reveal chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy on top of both with a vegetable salad and a cup of tea, the Gorgon quickly whirled around next.

Stepping over to the door, she attempted to open it when she suddenly realized she locked it. Timidly muttering under her breath in a different language while trying to find the keys on her person, the poor Gorgon became frantic, desperate to find the keys so she could escape the room and the angel. Being in here with a strong angel was scary.

"Looking for these?" Macarona asked and twirled the key ring around on her right index finger, holding the keys that now jingled up to show the Gorgon where they were. "You dropped them when you nearly tripped and fell."

The demonic maid squeaked and kept speaking in that language Macarona was not familiar with, raising a fearful hand for them without leaving the door. When the young angel pointed to her own mouth to gesture that she didn't understand a word she was saying, the Gorgon began speaking in a language Macarona could understand much better. "P-please, l-let me have those! I-I need them back!" She didn't dare move, demanding the keys to be thrown to her.

Although Macarona would've begun to interrogate her, her stomach still growled as she decided on a simple exchange. Hopefully this demon would stay with her to answer whatever questions she had. The angel believed she would've, as this table and the meal had to be brought out when she was done eating. "I don't have a chair to sit in," she remarked, hoping to get at least something to sit on. It didn't even have to be a chair; anything, even the bed, would've sufficed. That was a minor, petty concern, really, though Macarona also knew she'd only get a chair or something if she returned the keys. Then again, the comfy bed seemed alluring; still, she didn't want to make it dirty by getting bits of food and crumbs all over the covers and the pillows, so she opted for eating at the table now that it was brought in the room. Besides, she wanted to trade the keys for something even if it wasn't information, but something that led to that.

"B-but of course, I-I'll bring it in!" the maid stuttered. "O-one's outside, I-I'll get it! I-I just need the k-keys!"

"Very well," the young angel tossed them over, preferring to keep her distance from the hissing snakes since they might've struck her had she gone any closer to the Gorgon. Worse, they might've been venomous snakes too.

Catching them, the demon proceeded to unlock the door for her. Or at least try to since her hands were so shaky she couldn't even insert the key into the lock properly. Of course, she struggled to find the right one since she was so scared of the angel that she actually forget which key it was. "C-come on, c-come on, unlock…" she murmured quite timidly to herself and tried key after key. If she had a skeleton key or some kind of master key, she wouldn't have had this much trouble trying to find the right one. As it was, her struggle to search for the correct key was taking up too much unnecessary time until she eventually found the right one. "T-this is it, t-this is the correct key!" she remarked, finally inserting it into the lock after her somewhat comedic show of trying to find it ended. At once she threw open the door and hurried into the hall to get one of the chairs outside. Macarona didn't even laugh at her because it would've been rude; however, she merely sighed in relief once the furniture was brought in and set before the table so she could sit down.

"Thank you," she remarked to show her gratitude once the maid set it down and turned to lock the door again.

"O-oh, y-you're welcome," the Gorgon replied, calming down a bit when she watched the angel sit down at the table and begin to eat. "I-I hope you like it. I-I mean, I-I d-didn't c-cook it myself, s-so I-I wouldn't know if it's good."

"I'm sure the cook tasted it first, but it is good," Macarona commented. "Hopefully it's not poisoned."

"O-oh, no, it's not," the demon assured her. "Mr. Satanick specifically ordered them to not poison it."

Macarona sighed in relief in between bites. "That's a relief," she murmured and kept eating. A few bites later she returned her attention to the maid. "Who are you, anyway? What's your name?" she asked, wanting an introduction.

"M-me…?" the Gorgon murmured shyly, tipping her head down to face the floor while wondering if it was okay for her to converse with the angelic prisoner. Hardly anybody asked for her name before since she was a lowly servant, a petty maid nobody had to pay much attention to. The only ones who referred to her by name were actually her superiors whenever they required something of her, not when they wished to speak with her freely which they never did. This type of social interaction was a situation she found herself trapped in, but felt there wasn't any way out of it but to entertain the prisoner's request and answer any questions she might've had. Her orders were to stay with her until the meal was done, after all. "U-um, m-my name's Medouco," she said while curtsying politely. "I'm a maid in this castle."

"This is the Devil's Kingdom, correct?" the angel inquired rhetorically, receiving a timid nod from Medouco. "Alright, where am I to be specific? What is the name of town outside and what sort of building is this, Medouco?"

"The town is Zlienderstrom. This is Nightrise Castle, home of the royal family," Medouco answered without stuttering this time. Her nerves seemed to be calming down and the snakes were soothed too as they no longer hissed.

"By the royal family you mean Mr. Satanick, Lil, and Mr. Glasses, correct?"

The Gorgon nodded. "Indeed. I do not know where Miss Lil is, but Mr. Satanick is currently in the middle of a meeting with his council while Mr. Glasses is busy with work in the Department of International and National Diplomatic Affairs. I don't know how you learned who they are, though I'm afraid I can't say much about them, Miss Macarona."

"Hmm, so you already know who I am from Mr. Satanick and his subordinates," Macarona responded, wondering if the Gentleman Devil told Medouco the whole story about why he'd taken her hostage. If not, she decided giving some of that knowledge willingly could've been beneficial. Medouco mentioned she was a maid in this castle who served the royal family, so the angel wished to see how the Gorgon would react. Judging by her timorous reaction when she and Medouco first interacted, Macarona supposed the demon would exhibit a similar response to the mention of a war between the Gray Garden and the Devil's Kingdom. Furthermore, she also wished to comprehend how loyal she was to Satanick. "I know Lil personally; she's currently residing at my place in the Gray Garden due to a marital dispute that is likely going to engulf the entire world and your underworld. Considering the tensions, I'd say an open war could erupt."

Medouco's eyes widened in fear. "A-an open war?!" she exclaimed in shock, expressing terror at the thought. "B-but, b-but, I-I c-can't be deployed on the front lines! I-I'm no good at c-combat! I-I don't know how t-to fight!" Slowly she began to pace back and forth, trembling uncontrollably and pondering what she could've done to escape the fight. Medouco's reaction the news of a potential war breaking out demonstrated she couldn't handle such strife well which helped Macarona examine her character to determine what sort of individual the Gorgon was. She came across as a timid maid, an innocent civilian who didn't want to get caught up in conflict and carnage and wished to stay out of the army even if she was drafted into it. Her reason being how terrified she was, though another reason was her lack of experience with combat in any role. As a demon, she most likely wouldn't have known healing spells even though her occupation as a maid could've included knowledge of first aid. In other words, Medouco wasn't much use on the battlefield or even anywhere near it. Still, Macarona believed she could definitely trust the Gorgon. "T-this is b-bad! V-very, v-very bad!"

"Medouco, calm yourself," the angel tried to soothe her nerves somewhat. "If anything, the Gentleman Devil will be invading my world. You'll have nothing to fear from mine as I'm sure you'll be spared any consequences the people of the Gray Garden would have in mind. We do not seek to declare war against the Devil's Kingdom, nor do we wish to for any other world, including heavens and hells." She wanted to befriend the Gorgon, make the demon an ally who would assist her just as she would help Medouco. The demon's first impression certainly indicated she wasn't evil, thus creating an opportunity for Macarona to form a bond with her that could potentially help her find more connections in this underworld besides those she already knew of from Lil—and personally in GriRea's case. If the young angel could set her at ease, perhaps acquiring more knowledge and aid in the Devil's Kingdom was possible. She might've been a prisoner, but she'd know somebody on the inside. Her tactic was a rational technique even if somebody claimed she was seeking benefits in a sort of give and take relationship; while Macarona would've agreed with others on that, there was more to it than they could've known. Although they just met, she was starting to consider Medouco as a friend she'd willingly place her trust in. Anyone might've said she was being naïve, though Macarona had to take that risk anyway.

"B-but, b-but, I-I could be drafted!" the demonic maid raised the issue of getting drafted into the military.

"Not if I speak to the Gentleman Devil about that," Macarona responded, making a demand of Medouco. By requesting an audience with Satanick, she could confront him about her predicament. The young angel would be his prisoner for a while so she could learn more about this society and the civilization he established. She would establish a network of connections with anybody who felt suppressed by his laws and wanted peace. Macarona knew she could not escape that easily from the Devil's Kingdom because Satanick and his forces were at their strongest here. They held the important advantages, knowing the territory and having full control over everything. Yet by remaining here for a while rather than escaping too soon or letting herself be saved by somebody who'd come to rescue her, the angel was hoping to actually see the Devil's Kingdom up close and personal and make friendships with those who were friendly by doing all she could to offer as much aid as her capacity as a prisoner allowed her to. She might not have been trusted at first, but Macarona could try to change that. The gears in her mind were turning towards this plan of hers that now formed, and the first person she knew she could clearly trust—somebody whom she'd place her faith in with her life in that individual's hands—was Medouco. "If I can gain an audience with him, I shall demand that he instruct you to take charge of me."

"W-wha…?" the demonic maid was baffled, puzzled as to why an angel was helping her. "B-but y-you're—"

"A prisoner? An angel? Both," the angelic girl commented, finishing her meal and turning her attention to the Gorgon after taking one last sip of the tea. "What capacity I'm in shouldn't matter. I'm his prisoner, thus I'm demanding an audience with the Gentleman Devil. If I am to be his prisoner, I shall determine what schedule I'm to follow if one is required. He may have taken me hostage to try and secure an advantage over my world and anyone else from other worlds and underworlds I know personally, but I refuse to simply stand by and allow him to do as he pleases with me. I shan't sit around doing nothing, Medouco." Macarona narrowed her eyes in determination. "I want to speak with him."

"I-I…I-I-I…" Medouco blinked, breathing deeply because she was afraid of what might've happened to her if she allowed this angel to meet with the Gentleman Devil. Her orders were to make sure Macarona never left this area of the castle and she was supposed to be the angel's escort throughout this part of the castle. Satanick told her that he could simply replace her if she failed those duties, though Medouco knew he could still do it anyway. He was the Devil of this hell, after all, and was thus entitled to do as he pleased—including renegading on his orders for her by sending her off to battle. She had to refuse; she needed to deny this demand. "I-I'm s-sorry, b-but I-I'm afraid I-I can't l-let you, Miss Macarona. I-I've got orders I-I need t-to follow." She hoped the Gentleman Devil wouldn't send her to the frontlines. "I-I c-can't—" Quickly rushing to clean up as best she could, Medouco lowered one half of the table and rolled it towards the door. Fumbling with the keys again because she was shivering timidly, she eventually got the one for this room in and then unlocked it right away. Before she could leave, however, Macarona was already at the door heading out at once.

"Unfortunately, I must speak with him even if you protest against it, Medouco. I'm doing partly for your own good too even if you attempt to stop me from meeting with him." With that said, she was already walking straight out.

The Gorgon's hands shot straight up to her head as she realized her incompetence was going to get her killed. "A-ah, M-Miss M-Macarona! P-please, d-don't, I-I beg of you!" If she didn't stop the angel, she was a dead demon.

…

"Gentlemen, I have called you all here today to discuss more than just business," he began the final item of the meeting's agenda with that statement, seeking to seize their attention with the upcoming announcement. Satanick took a sip of red wine, shutting his eyes as he sat up straight in his chair in the assembly room facing his council of advisers. To his left were his Chancellor and Marshal, Yagi, and Ludwig, the Court Mage. On the Gentleman Devil's right were his Steward and Spymaster, Murdock and Storm respectively. The gentleman Devil smiled, getting right down to the very business he was looking forward to declaring. "We are at war, my fellows. As of late, I submitted my declaration of war against the Gray Garden straight to their leaders, the White Goddess and Black Devil, Etihw and Kcalb respectively. The reason being that one of the citizens of that world murdered one of my personal assassins in cold blood, but I wouldn't allow this girl to get away with the crime. Henceforth I subdued and arrested the angel responsible for slaying him; if I hadn't, she would've gotten away and the authorities of the Gray Garden wouldn't have even prosecuted her at all."

Murdock scoffed, not believing that an ordinary citizen could've killed a professional assassin. "You believe that's even possible sir? With all due respect, Mr. Satanick, your assassin was highly skilled. This was a mere angel." Running a hand through his silver hair, using the other to gently tug at one of his whiskers before moving it down to stroke a finely kempt beard, large and well-trimmed, the wolf demon simply laughed at the notion of an angelic girl managing to accomplish the impossible. Crossing his arms, he smugly pictured a thought in his mind about how useless and futile it was for that to even happen. "It's just not even probable, that's all," he adding, checking his wristwatch for the time and dusting off his fancy red dress shirt adorned with silky gold embroidering along the edges and blue stripes along those.

"Silence, Murdock," Ludwig, the owl demon in ornate brown mage robes murmured coldly from his seat next to Yagi. "You do not know all of the details yet. Mr. Satanick has yet to elaborate on the matter. Let him clarify it."

"Hah," the Steward arrogantly chuckled snidely, his watch chain dangling from the pocket of his red suit. "I hardly see the need to when he's already said the assassin was slain by an angelic citizen—and a female at that. That's literally not something you'd encounter everyday as unique as the case might be." His view on the issue stemmed from him being a product of the corrupt patriarchal civilization that was the Devil's Kingdom. Some exceptions did exist such as Her Majesty and Killie's family, though Murdock refused to even acknowledge them and their influence. He was only interested in the big payoff, the bottom line of economic transactions that contributed to filling his own pockets with valuable treasure and money. As the Steward, he certainly enjoyed his position and the prestige acquired from being Satanick's Steward. Greed was his creed, after all. "It might've occurred in another world, but that world's weak."

"That level of arrogance will be our undoing. It was the same mistake Ivlis made and cost him the invasion," Yagi pointed out to him. "You know nothing about the Gray Garden and have never been to it. Its leaders radiate more power than even I, and I am far superior to you in combat even if I cannot wield magic or any demonic energy. The White Goddess, Etihw, was one of Justim's best deities and one of his closest allies as well. Kcalb, the Black Devil, had been in a similar position under Her Highness much like Vicers was; furthermore, he absorbed Ivlis' powers to weaken the Flame Devil to a point where he could be stopped by four heroines. All of them were mere schoolgirls, yet they've proven themselves quite strong as a matter of fact. Their names are: Yosafire, Froze, Macarona, and Rawberry. Of the four, Mr. Satanick subdued Macarona because she killed Daimonji and imprisoned her in our underworld. You claim it would be impossible for her to have defeated a professional assassin like him, though it is indeed possible and likely. According to the rumor mill circulating throughout the underworlds, Macarona is the reincarnated descendant of the White Goddess' Commander-in-Chief, Rigatona, whom we all know was the strongest angel to have ever lived. In addition, the rumor mill also suggests that Yosafire is the reincarnated descendant of Yosaflame as her name suggests; in contrast to Rigatona, he was the strongest demon and the Commander-in-Chief of Kcalb's military. Both were friends, however, despite which side of the conflict between angels and demons they were on; like the reincarnated descendants. It's been detrimental to go up against even one of them in the past when they were alive, and the same risk is posed by their reincarnated descendants. By capturing one of them, the risk may be minimized, but caution is still important."

"They are correct, Murdock," Satanick sided with them because their arguments were logical. "You needn't downplay the threat posed by the Gray Garden and its respective citizens. They fought the Land of the Sun and won a few wars they were in with that world, including Ivlis' invasion. Of course, the Land of the Sun lost due to reckless zeal and religious fervor combined with the arrogance of their heaven, plus internal strife within the heaven cost it much of its power on the Heavenly Council. The Sun Heaven took huge hits: politically, economically, and socially. However, the internal strife was caused by a rogue angel from the Gray Garden who sought to revive its old incarnation as the Colored Rainbow World and become a God. The Gray Garden might be a peaceful place now, but it's still tied to corruption. Additionally, the army there, while being united over purposes of defending their world and the people who live in it, doesn't actually possess much strength on its own as the Flame Underworld's invasion suggests. Reficul might've put forth aid from the sidelines on her own, but even she didn't do much other than show Ivlis his inferiority as a relatively new Devil. Still, however difficult it was to secure victory, the Gray Garden triumphed nonetheless over the invaders."

"What of its allies?" Ludwig inquired cautiously, wondering how they'd operate in the war when the Gray Garden had a few allied civilizations. "They share commercial ties with the Flower World and the Shadowed Sanctuary, plus even our world's own Corporate Heaven has the same ties and cooperated with them in the War of Three Suns."

"Which is why we shall cut off those ties," the Gentleman Devil answered his inquiry. "We shall place troops blockading the pathways within the portals leading to and from each of their allies. Two legions each should suffice."

"Leaving the rest of our legions fit to assault the Gray Garden," Murdock concluded from the decision.

"We'll need a few on standby in the Devil's Kingdom," Yagi countered his optimistic enthusiasm for conquest of that sort. "We'll still need to protect our society in the event the Gray Garden does manage to break through any of our offenses and defenses in their territories. Supply lines must also be protected as well so merchants can deliver arms to our legions. One should be placed between the capital city where Her Majesty resides to prevent her from acting; another should be positioned at the border between us and the mortal realm to prevent the Smoking God from acting as well."

"Precisely, Yagi," the Gentleman Devil complimented him on the strategic plan his Chancellor and Marshal put forth on the table. "The Gray Garden will be isolated, so we can take our time. Any further thoughts, Gentlemen?"

Murdock grinned. "You already have my vote. The resources and territories we gain will benefit our economy."

"Thank you for your input and support, Murdock," Satanick said, turning next to Ludwig. "Ludwig?"

"I am your Court Mage, so I'm afraid I cannot vote on the procedure," the owl demon commented honestly. "That being said, however, if you require my thoughts on the matter, so be it. I believe the war could be pulled off in a successful manner provided it is handled carefully. Although I cannot be sent to frontlines due to my position, I could provide any advice based on what I know concerning the fields of expertise I am knowledgeable about and skilled in."

"That will be fine, Ludwig, and I know Yagi is already in agreeance with this decision." Diverting his attention next to the cloaked demon seated beside Murdock, the Gentleman Devil simply smiled at him. "What of you, Storm?"

Clad entirely in a black cloak shrouding his entire body, the cloaked Spymaster merely raised a hand covered by a charred gauntlet of what had once been a brightly golden alloy to give a thumb up without saying a word. He was by far the most mysterious member of the Gentleman Devil's council, more so than even Yagi. Satanick didn't know where he hailed from, but Storm had been gifted to him by Gokuen through his son's negotiations with the Feudal Lord of the Youkai Kingdom. The Gentleman Devil heard this shadowy figure who now served as his Spymaster was something of a master aeromancer much like Satanick himself which helped get messages passed along on the winds. True to his name and his profession, Storm proved himself a capable Spymaster who excelled at causing political storms between parties to split them apart even if he was always quiet. Compared to the elegantly arrogant nature of the aristocratic Murdock and the calculating magical theories explained and advocated by Ludwig, the Spymaster was a threat both silent and deadly as much as he was also an enigma as well. Still, he was one of the most valued members of Satanick's council all the same.

"There, we're all in sync, gentlemen," the Gentleman Devil concluded the meeting now that official business was over. "I am glad we were able to come to another unanimous majority ruling yet again as always. Our unity is an exceptional example of how to govern society. With our cooperation, we can achieve anything and ensure civilization is stable. Without us at the helm, the Devil's Kingdom would surely crumble in on itself as chaos would run rampant. Our economy would no longer be controlled by the aristocracy that governs this hell and women would finally secure more power for themselves. As men, the patriarchs of our civilization, it is our duty to ensure that only men hold command and power so the women can never get their hands on any of it for themselves. Only men skilled enough can excel here."

"This same old speech again, Mr. Satanick?" the Steward laughed amiably. "Please, sir, do change it or make a different speech. We get the picture already, but I'm all in for a toast to our power all the same." Raising a wine glass of his own after pouring some brandy for himself, he initiated the toast. "As redundant as it is, a toast to the power of men!"

His toast was emulated by the Gentleman Devil and Ludwig, though Yagi and Storm remained composed in their demeanor as they simply sat by and watched their associates drink when a sudden commotion erupted from the corridor outside. "A-ah, n-no, you can't go in there, Miss Macarona! T-They're meeting inside and d-don't wish to be disturbed! O-oh, a-ah, Mr. Greckovf, s-some assistance, p-please! S-She's heading straight into the assembly hall!" Just when the voice made this concern of an intruder known, the doors were pushed open by an angelic girl who barged right into the proceedings uninvited aside from having invited herself in. Her very entrance was rather rude as the Gorgon maid tailing her attempted to usher the young angel in a green and red sailor uniform decorated with crosses back into the hall. A demonic butler nearby joined in, but was held back by a hand held up by the Gentleman Devil. The demonic maid, catching sight of this gesture, thought it was meant for her too. "U-Um, I-I'm s-sorry, s-sir!" the poor lady attempted to apologize for failing to stop the angel from interrupting them. "I-I didn't mean t-to, s-she just—" Yet she was interrupted.

"Our business has already concluded, Medouco," Satanick commented and stood up to straighten his tie. "But your apology is unnecessary all the same. I ordered you to ensure our prisoner was kept within her room and made you her warden, though it seems you've yet again proven incompetent at effectively performing your responsibilities well." His coldhearted disparagement of the Gorgon showed how disappointed and displeased he was with her, though secretly he was thankful for it anyway without making this particular feeling known. Assigning the Gorgon to be the angel's warden was a calculated effort on his part because the family she came from did something without his permission. He hoped Medouco would've failed at keeping this angelic girl locked in the room he left her in after kidnapping her because he purposely sought to acquire legitimately proper justification for drafting her into the military just as he had already constructed legitimately proper justification for his war by framing the angel for murder. Satanick's plan paid off well, knowing Medouco was one of few demons in his underworld who could actually use healing spells; in fact, she was actually the greatest among those few, hence why he wanted her on the war's frontlines. Enacting on her incompetence as a maid was purposely adding insult to injury. "I'm afraid I must reassign you…" he added in a threatening tone.

Medouco gasped, her hands shooting up to her mouth as she shivered uncontrollably while her eyes widened in absolute horror. "N-no, n-not that! P-Please, I-I don't wish to be reassigned! I-I'll do better next time, I-I swear, s-sir!"

"Absolutely not, the legions that'll be stationed in the Gray Garden are in need of a healer of your expertise," Yagi scolded her by denying her innocent request. However, his authoritative command showed she was a good healer. Averting his attention to Greckovf, he gave the butler an order. "Greckovf, take her down to the barracks at once."

"Yes, sir," Greckovf responded and bowed to show his respect before attempting to take Medouco away. He was stopped by the angel when the young girl stepped back to stand in his way. "Miss, you are going to have to stand aside. I have my orders and shall follow them to the fullest. You are not to get involved, so know your place here."

"I refuse," Macarona stated defiantly in protection of the Gorgon. "You shall not. She is my warden."

"As of right now, she is no longer your warden, girl," Yagi attempted to threaten her. "Stand down or you'll be slain on the very spot you stand." Drawing his revolver from his pocket to make the threat stick, he put his finger upon the trigger and kept it there while Ludwig merely got out of his seat to calmly back away and let him fire if he had to.

Macarona again refused to submit, not even moving out of his line of sight despite turning her attention to the goat demon. "My response still stands as does my resolution. I have come to demand an audience with Mr. Satanick."

"Ha, how bold of you to utter such a request!" the wolf demon laughed at her cocky determination. "You're the angel he arrested for murdering that assassin, correct? Well, no matter who you are, your request is denied. You have no power here, angel, and thus you shall either obey and do as you're told, or face the consequences of opposing authority." Macarona would've responded to the charge against her explaining that she watched Satanick kill Daimonji, though she kept her tongue in check this time. These people wouldn't have believed her anyway because they were the Gentleman Devil's council of advisors. They might've been demons, but even other demons could've looked into her account whereas these guys wouldn't. She knew they'd look down on her for being an angel, but more so because she was a girl from a lower class—somebody they believed was unfit and incapable of ever wielding any kind of power in society.

Ludwig, however, noticed she wasn't daring to respond despite still remaining undaunted in the face of Yagi's threat and moved back to where he had been seated. He didn't sit, only raised an arm to try and settle the goat demon down before he shot. "I would suggest holding your tongue just as she is. I'm not advocating for her, though I can see there is more to her than meets the eye." He could sense a great power within her, recognizing that as something which might've been the soul of Rigatona. Another element he could perceive was the somatomantic energy which radiated within the angel too. "In fact, I can feel it. I too believe she is the one Mr. Satanick and Yagi have spoken of." Ludwig directed his attention at the angel next. "You're name is Macarona, reincarnated descendant of Rigatona, correct?"

She nodded. "Yes, that is correct. I must admit I am surprised you gentlemen already know of me, Mr.…?"

"Ludwig, Court Mage to the Gentleman Devil," the owl demon introduced himself to her as she had asked. Whether he wanted to or not wasn't important, but he did want to make his authority known to her. "And yes, we're aware of who you are from rumors. To be frank, I must say I actually expected you to be a bit taller, Miss Macarona." It was a petty remark expressing his belief of what he perceived her to be like, so the angelic girl decided not to comment on it. The Court Mage merely turned to Satanick to offer his advice on how to handle her. "I suggest you hear what she has come to say, if only out of curiosity before making the decision whether you'll heed what she wants to discuss. Yagi, do lower your gun; we have no idea what she might be capable of. For all we know, she might be too strong to subdue."

"As conservatively cautious as always, Ludwig," Satanick complimented him on that. "Do as he says, Yagi," he ordered the goat demon to holster the revolver which the Chancellor and Marshal did without question. "Very well, I shall hear her out in but a minute. First things first, Murdock, I want you to begin making economic payments to our army while calculating how many funds we'll need to spend in addition to what we'll acquire from our victory. Storm, you are to reach out to the various enterprises in our world and 'convince' them to support us; plus I'd want you to also be in place should other parties rise up in opposition. Greckovf, resume your current duties at present; I shall deal with Medouco."

The demonic butler merely bowed again and walked out while Murdock chuckled and stood up to leave. "I shall have the funds appropriated with Storm's support in due time. Just let us have the mobility to accomplish this," he said while departing with the Spymaster, seeking greater freedom to exercise the responsibility bestowed to them.

"Granted," the Gentleman Devil answered the request with but a single word before diverting his gaze to the Court Mage. "Ludwig, contact Chlomaki and request she supply our sorcerers and battlemages with magical arsenals."

Ludwig nodded and began to head out. "Of course, at your orders, sir. Just be careful with this angel."

"You know I always am," Satanick responded. With most of his council and Greckovf now gone, the only individuals within the assembly hall were: him, Yagi, Medouco, and Macarona. He would've ordered the goat demon to fulfill his duties as the Chancellor and Marshal, though wanted his most trusted subordinate by his side to put down Macarona by force if they had to after listening to what she had come to speak with them about. "Now, then, I guess it's just about time to address whatever concerns you wish to bring forward regarding your captivity, Macarona," he said to address her when his eyes flickered over to Medouco's presence. He had not ordered her away, allowing her to stand by and cower where she stood while listening to the conversation. The Gentleman Devil still didn't want to cast the Gorgon aside because she was too useful as a powerful healer, but decided to frighten her into submission instead. If he couldn't discard her, he'd make her quiver in fear and follow his orders straight to the letter by force. He wouldn't kill her even if he got a little rough in any physical attacks he dealt to her. "But first, I need to put a subordinate in place." Starting to walk around the table as Medouco squeaked in timid fear, he slowly approached her as Macarona stood in his way once he arrived in front of them. Neither she nor Satanick spoke to one another at the moment since he merely raised an arm to knock her aside before shooting a hand out to seize the Gorgon's chin and lift it up to make eye contact. His calm, scary gaze bore into her timid eyes of terror. "Medouco, remind me what I do to those who are incompetent and need to be disciplined severely?" he asked to frighten her into a state of timorous submission. "Can you answer this inquiry?"

The poor maid swallowed heavily, blinking rapidly. "Y-y-you…" she whispered fearfully, "p-p-punish them."

"Exactly, Medouco, that's precisely the answer I wanted to hear," he taunted her. "See, at least you're good for something even if it is just answering a simple question like that." The shadows underneath him started convulsing as they began to expand towards her. They formed shadowy tendrils on the walls that slowly reached upwards towards the demonic maid who watched them rise in horror. Her eyes darted to each one, observing how they all began to straighten out and form sharp spikes on the ends that would've pierced her own shadow to inflict severe pain. Wounds wouldn't have opened on her body, though the seething agony would still have been felt by her. "Now…where should I start?" Satanick asked, allowing her to have the choice of where he'd stab her shadow first. Although Medouco attempted to speak up requesting another chance to prove herself, her voice was lost amid the threatening shadows hanging over her. Even the snakes that made up her hair were not acting, not hissing in defense of her as they too knew it was hopeless.

Or it would've been had another voice not spoken up to stop the Gentleman Devil from acting. "What the hell's going on this time, Father?" the demon that now entered the room spoke up. Clad in a black suit with dark shades over his eyes, the young man entered the room to find the Gentleman Devil attacking a maid. As Macarona was getting to her feet, she realized that from the way this demon referred to Satanick, he was obviously Glasses, the son of both him and Lil. "Is there a particular reason why you're bothering another one of our servants again—especially Medouco?" His voice was full of venom he directed at his father, facing the Gentleman Devil defiantly just as the young angel had done too.

"Hello, Glasses," Satanick showed the same contempt his son displayed towards him. "Do not mind things here, my son. I am in the middle of teaching an incompetent maid how to properly perform her responsibilities on duty."

"By threatening her even if you don't plan on killing her?" Glasses asked. Neither Macarona nor Medouco realized it, but he too acknowledged the Gorgon was an exceptional cleric proficient in her healing arts. "I came in because you are going too far again as usual, Father, and I overheard everything after directing the angel here when she asked."

"So you are responsible for authorizing her leave of the room I instructed her to be in?" Satanick inquired.

"Not at all, I merely told her this was the assembly hall you and your council were meeting in," his son replied and switched gears to the angel in their presence. "Now then, care to explain why an angel of the Corporate Heaven is in your captivity? You do realize this will sour relations with Fumus and can lead to a war with the Corporate Heaven?"

"I'm not from the Corporate Heaven, Mr. Glasses," Macarona spoke up and curtsied out of respect for him while answering his inquiry before the Gentleman Devil could utter a word. "I come from the Gray Garden; my name's Macarona. Your father kidnapped me and is declaring war on my world. Your mother told me about you," she explained honestly, hoping he'd believe her. Glasses might've been a demon, but from what she heard from Lil he wasn't too fond of his father and could've probably sided with her to offer some kind of aid if possible if he was willing to listen.

Glasses raised an eyebrow, turning to her with a few questions. "The Gray Garden, eh? The world that defeated Ivlis? You know my mother?" He heard of the Flame Devil's invasion of that world and knew he lost to it, but hadn't really known too much about the specifics since he was usually dealing with emissaries from around this underworld and foreign diplomats from the other hells. Macarona's presence piqued his curiosity regarding why an angel from the Gray Garden was here when he was aware that the Black Devil, Kcalb, was a former vassal of GriRea who made peace with his Goddess to end the war in their world. He stepped closer to scrutinize the young angel while she answered him.

"Indeed, I was one of the four heroines who fought him back when he invaded. Your mother's a close friend of mine, actually." Macarona stopped herself from giving too much information on how she met Lil. She didn't want to inform Satanick of the get together she was invited to in the Shadowed Sanctuary for a weekend. Then again, maybe he did learn about that some other way; nonetheless she wasn't going to explain all that anyway. Maybe she would give Glasses some elaboration when his father wasn't present while telling her side of the story to him concerning Daimonji and how the demonic assassin was murdered by Satanick to frame her. Another risk, though one she had to take.

"Really, is that so? I figured my mother had friends in other worlds, though never expected an angel to be one," the demonic young man stated. Whether he believed her or not was yet to be determined, though for now he simply motioned her to follow him out. "Alright, come along. I'll have Kiku prepare a cup of tea for you, so you can share the details with me over that." Turning to Medouco, he gave her an order to follow. "Medouco, just dust the area by my quarters. You should be alright there without anyone else bothering you over anything while trying to harm you."

Medouco blinked, the freedom of temporarily getting away from Satanick not registering with her for a few moments as she stammered and stuttered incomprehensible words before finally getting it moments later. "O-oh, I-I'll get on that right away, Mr. Glasses! I-I don't know how well I-I'd d-do, b-but I-I'll do my best to make it spotless!"

"Sure, you do that," the young man responded as he let her rush out of the assembly hall prior to turning to his father with a cold glare. "One last thing, Father," he added and reached into his pocket to remove devices he showed to the Gentleman Devil. "I found the bugs you had planted in my quarters to eavesdrop on our conversations." Forcing his hand into a fist, Glasses crushed the bugs into bits of technological pieces that shattered completely. "Never do that again." His voice had been full of scorn for his father, though now there was a dark, threatening overtone to it suggesting Glasses would've done something to Satanick. Macarona would've asked what, but figured it wasn't her business since she was glad he seemed to despise the Gentleman Devil too. Those bugs he found sounded like one reason for that contempt.

"I am your father, Glasses," Satanick returned the cold glare and dark tone of voice.

"And a terrible one at that," Glasses retorted without allowing his father to continue speaking, ushering the angelic girl out of the room without saying so much as a farewell or showing any respect to the Gentleman Devil. "I may be your heir, but I'm not taking the throne. I could care less about politics if I didn't have to solve the issues you cause from above in the monarchial government, Father." Saying so he slammed the door behind and strolled forward, letting the angel follow him through Nightrise Castle. "I apologize for my father's behavior," he remarked, leading her through several corridors to the wing where his personal quarters were. "He can be a real pain in the ass sometimes. Granted, he does know what he's doing even if what he's doing is causing harm in spite of his awareness of the consequences. That jackass only seeks to preserve his rule." The young man sighed in irritation, thinking twice about lighting a cigarette in Macarona's presence since he didn't take her for a smoker considering her age, and the second-hand smoke might've harmed her lungs. "If you need somebody to negotiate with him on your behalf, I can offer my services in that regard whenever I'm free to. He'll not listen to you as you're his prisoner, though he'll have no choice but to listen to me. Of course, that's if I believe your story; fortunately for you, I don't trust my father and think there's truth to your story."

"Thank you, I appreciate the help," Macarona smiled to show her gratitude even if Glasses didn't see it since he was walking ahead of her. She could also concur with him about the Gentleman Devil, thankful Glasses was prepared to help her and would likely believe her after understanding the truth. "And yes, I know the feeling after having personally met with him a few times. Your mother told me all about him and what's going on with the Devil's Kingdom."

"My mother is quite correct on both counts, of course, but save it for just a little bit," the demon requested.

"Alright," the young angel agreed as they walked through the castle since his instruction was polite. "Where are we going, if I may ask?" she then inquired just to get a sense of direction as to the location he was bringing her to.

"My personal quarters," Glasses answered her question. "I'm curious to know why an angel from the Gray Garden is here and what it has to do with a war my father declared against your world. I also want to know how you met my mother and what your relation as a friend is with her. Kiku's preparing some tea now, so you can join us for it."

"Ah, thank you," Macarona smiled, curious about who the other demon he mentioned was. "Who's Kiku?"

"My fiancé, an Oni from the Youkai Kingdom to the east. I met here while on business there a few times and we both fell in love. The Youkai Kingdom isn't necessarily a world of its own yet; negotiations have been progressing at a steady pace to make that happen since its previous ruler, Gokuen, actually defeated my father in single combat. The match was quite a spectacle, and miraculously Gokuen emerged victorious and unscathed while my father was badly injured."

"The Lord of that kingdom managed to defeat a Devil?" the young angel expressed her surprise upon hearing how somebody who might've been of lesser strength than a Devil could've easily defeated one without accruing even so much as a scratch. "Why does the Youkai Kingdom seek to become its own world? So it can secede from this hell?"

"To put it simply, yes," Glasses explained. "The Youkai Kingdom is a minority in the Devil's Kingdom that does manage to produce some individuals whom are escalated into the upper classes when my father recognizes them for the skills and achievements they become known for throughout the underworld. Gokuen was one of them and was ascended into the position of becoming their Feudal Lord. He's quite a mysterious character, really, though does govern his lands fairly and is in opposition to my father's policies because they have harmed his kingdom's economy. He doesn't necessarily care much for other kinds of demons in this hell or any others since he's strictly a patriot of Youkai rights. Although he did manage to defeat my father, the Gentleman Devil refused to acknowledge his claim which was against the rules he himself had set. Of course, being the Devil, there was no stopping him; however, not wanting to die at Gokuen's hands, he agreed to grant the secession so long as Gokuen stepped down as the ruler and let his heir assume command. Unfortunately, even that hit a snag because Gokuen's got an only daughter named Heller, a mute Youkai, as his heir. My father is refusing to acknowledge the claim because of that which is the only significant hurdle they can't get over. Luckily I've been handling negotiations for that for a while with Mr. Sullivan and settled other deals and affairs. The Spymaster you've seen, Storm, that silent demon, is a gift from Gokuen to my father via those very negotiations."

"Sounds like everything's going smoothly apart from the issue over the heir," Macarona commented casually.

"Yep, that just about sums it up," Glasses ended the brief lecture once they reached the wing where his own personal quarters were located. Before ending the lesson, however, he briefly alluded to the Tosatsu Kingdom. "Even the Tosatsu Kingdom was once a territory of our underworld before it too seceded. Anyway, we have arrived." Ending the conversation for the time being, he led the angel over to a door and opened it to step inside his home. "Kiku, I'm home!" he called to let his fiancé know he arrived. "I've also brought another guest over for some tea if you don't mind having her over too!" Hearing footsteps from around the corner, he and Macarona watched the red-skinned Oni saunter over.

"Welcome home, Glasses, did you have a nice day at work?" she asked, addressing him first with a smile. Her arms were down in front of her, hands clasped together as she gazed at her fiancé while he responded to the inquiry.

"Yes, though it was another slow day of negotiations." Stepping aside to show her the young angel, he held a hand up to introduce the two of them to each other so Kiku and Macarona could get to know one another. "Kiku, this is Macarona, an angel from the Gray Garden. Macarona, Kiku. She'll be joining us for a bit so I can ask her some things."

Kiku nodded and curtsied respectfully towards their angelic guest. "I see, it is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Macarona. I must admit, I've never laid eyes on an angel from another world before apart from the ones in our world's Corporate Heaven. You must be the first from another heaven to have come here. I'm sure we can entertain you to the best of our abilities, but I'm afraid we're limited in that capacity due to the social restrictions. Nonetheless, we hope you enjoy your stay in the Devil's Kingdom. "The Oni smiled, coming across as a pleasant girl in spite of being a demon.

Macarona smiled and returned the gesture, shutting her eyes. "Yes, thank you. I appreciate your hospitality. I must admit, however, there are currently a few more restrictions on me than you might think, and my world does not have a heaven or an underworld—it doesn't even possess a mortal realm for that matter. The Gray Garden is a peaceful world where angels, demons, and even Nephilim can coexist in peaceful harmony with one another," she explained as the two demons began to lead her into their home which she found to be quite cozy and welcoming to anyone invited over.

"Ah, how lovely," the Oni replied and turned to face her again. "I would very much like to visit that world provided an opportunity presents itself. Now, if you'll excuse me, I shall bring out the tea. It should be done heating up by now." With a bow she politely excused herself from their services to enter the kitchen to finish preparing their tea.

"This way, Macarona, we're having it in the living room," Glasses said, motioning for her to follow him. The angel did as he said after quickly looking down to make sure her shoes were removed. Then she remembered that her shoes had been in the knapsack pouch attached to her armor which was still missing. Recalling that it must've been removed by some maids like Medouco who brought it somewhere where it could be stored for safekeeping unless the armor was worth something in this world—in which case it was sold—she simply shrugged. It didn't matter too much because nothing much was in there and she could get another suit of the same armor at the sporting goods store in her world if she ever returned to it, so Macarona just followed him in. Thinking about where she'd begin—probably with when she first met Lil and then move on to when the demonic lady took up residence at her house because of the marital dispute with Satanick—the young angel took a deep breath as she prepared herself to provide Glasses with some exposition when she saw a familiar face. The other young man she saw inside was somebody she had met before.

"Mors?" Macarona blinked in surprise, not having expected to meet the son of Reficul and Sin here. "What brings you here?" she then asked, taking a seat beside him while the demonic young man made eye contact with her.

"Business, basically, though I am also a close friend of Glasses," Mors answered her, putting a finger to his chin as he pondered why an angel he only met once was in the Devil's Kingdom too. "But I think the question should be directed towards you." Catching a puzzled glance from Glasses as the other demonic man took a seat on the couch opposite the one they sat on, Mors put forth a brief comment on how he knew Macarona. "I met her once in the Gray Garden when she gave my family a tour of her hometown. She is a friend of my mother and knows Miss Devil too."

"Guess I won't need to introduce you two since you already know each other," Glasses stated while Kiku brought the tea in and started setting it up for them while he began to get down to business. "Now, Macarona, would you be so kind as to explain the predicament you appear to be in because of my father?" he inquired, giving her the floor.

…

 **And so we've finally arrived at the Devil's Kingdom itself. As the Obsolete Dream manga series by Mogeko/Okegom isn't finished yet due to being only a prologue and six chapters long so far, I shall not delve into its main story or allude to it. I will, however, implement the characters who appear in it since they are residents of this underworld who shall meet with Macarona while she is imprisoned in this hell. While that may imply she won't have much freedom and will be confined to only a certain space like the prison cell in the Flame Underworld where she and her friends were placed in the game, there is a silver lining. She may not have much mobility to do as she pleases, but she'll receive a bit more freedom to at least see part of the Devil's Kingdom. Of all the characters whom Macarona shall interact with in this hell, Medouco will be her constant companion throughout this arc of the story as I have mentioned in the chapter above and will go over again briefly in the following chapter. However, there will be others besides her, Glasses, and Kiku, who reside in the Devil's Kingdom who'll offer support even if they initially distrust Macarona. For the next few chapters I'll be going over the society of the Devil's Kingdom through Zlienderstrom and various characters who live there. Additionally, there's going to be another boss battle coming up very soon against Cosmea whom you may know of via the official Mogeko/Okegom website and the wikia, though I have also mentioned her in the last chapter. There'll be some good content even if the next few chapters aren't as long as these past two have been, but I can assure you I'll be working to come up with more non-canon lore about the Devil's Kingdom and its demons such as the example of the Youkai Kingdom and its known demons. I hope you'll look forward to this development.**

 **One other thing I want to mention is that Satanick's council was inspired by the council system from Crusader Kings II which consists of the aforementioned positions except for the Court Mage, a position which was inspired by the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The only position not on the council is the Court Chaplain as there isn't one in the Devil's Kingdom which I shall go over in the next chapter as well. The disclaimer for Crusader Kings II is below, though the ones for Obsolete Dream and Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim are in previous chapters.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Crusader Kings II; it is owned by Paradox Development Studio.**


	19. Chapter Nineteen: Heading Into Town

"Come on, come on, work, damn you…!" the demonic lady growled at her cellphone, attempting to get her calls through. Since Macarona had been kidnapped by her husband, the demonic lady was hoping to get the other members of her Network of Peers involved. With their aid as allies in the upcoming war against the Gentleman Devil, success was definitely secured if the other ladies could arrive in time with their armies to surround Satanick's military and ultimately decimate it entirely. That was what she hoped would happen, though for some reason her cellphone wasn't operating in that manner. She could still make calls to other people, but the numbers for the Network of Peers were all disabled. In fact, that entire system was no longer functioning even though it still existed with the numbers still there. "Dammit, my access to them couldn't have been blocked, could it?" she asked, wondering if it was something her husband would've done to stop her from contacting them. "That dipshit husband of mine must be responsible…"

"I should say so," Etihw commented from the couch in Macarona's living where she found Lil attempting to make contact with the Network of Peers. After the meeting with her husband had ended, the Goddess and Devil set themselves to the task of preparing for a defensive against Satanick's forces by informing the other regions about the threats posed by the Gentleman Devil. Lil had already departed while they were busy with that, heading out to let the people of Gray Village know too. It had only been hours since the negotiations shattered, and while preparations were only just beginning, there was a strange hindrance in their way. Following the Gentleman Devil's departure, there had been a huge outbreak of petty weather conditions like rain, snow, and fog. Nothing too serious or disastrous had occurred because the magic Etihw and Kcalb used to protect the Gray Garden prevented such natural disasters from causing problems. Even so, minor torrential downpours and thick snow that didn't cause floods or weigh too heavily quickly became an irritation as people had to focus on getting roads clear and towns pumped to solve the issues. This was likely a trick of Satanick's to make preparations take longer by adding more issues to a list of what they needed to do when mobilizing their military. "You are his wife and live with him in a corrupt society governed by an aristocratic patriarchy. He knows you very well and would do anything to keep you in check so you won't be able to effectively stop him."

"Yeah, he does," Lil agreed as she couldn't deny the truth. "Honestly, the only entertainment I can actually find is outside the Devil's Kingdom. All of my friends come from other worlds except for Killie. She's the only other demon among the Network of Peers who comes from the Devil's Kingdom besides me. I'd count Her Majesty too, except she's not a member and only attended one of our gatherings. I doubt she would attend more, but I know Macarona's a member even though I don't have her number due to your world's stance on being neutral in affairs in other worlds aside from commercial trade with a few." The demonic lady sighed and plopped down across from the Goddess in a reclining chair. "I'm positive my dipshit husband would likely keep me away from them, especially in a time like this. I mean, he might not have done anything before if he was spying on me through my own cellphone because I haven't revealed any of his secrets yet—well, not to others except for Macarona. Coming to the Gray Garden might've been the trigger for pulling the plug on my access to my Network of Peers; he didn't know I knew somebody in here and likely activated some kind of inner device to disable that access. Then again, he might've done the same if it were another of my friends instead."

"Well, you also have to take into account the fact that Kcalb is a former vassal of Her Majesty and wouldn't be trusted too much by Satanick even if the Gentleman Devil keeps up appearances of being old acquaintances with him," Etihw added to list a couple more factors. "Besides, sneaking out of the Devil's Kingdom is a recurring behavior, Lil. Enough escapes accumulated into suspicions that became actions when he perceived you'd spill any beans critical to any machinations he's looking to enact upon. Yet we cannot deny that he might've also wanted this, using you as a tool to accomplish an objective of securing proper justification for wanting to declare war on us even if it's not the reason."

"Yeah, Daimonji's murder was just that. I know my dipshit husband killed him. Saw it with my own eyes."

"And the circumstances, while possibly being circumstantial, have still reached the point warranting action."

Lil pointed an index finger at the Goddess. "Precisely, my dipshit husband's good at subterfuge. Why, he's an expert at creating tensions wherever and when it may benefit him. He'll do something to frame others before making bogus claims that're not true because he covers up everything and silences everyone to make them seem quite true."

"I do not doubt that anymore, nor does Kcalb," Etihw stated to let the demonic lady know they weren't buying Satanick's ploys any longer. They were on her side now more than ever against him. Satanick's abduction of Macarona and refusal to let them confirm she was safe and sound was an issue that couldn't be overlooked, as was the problem of how she was framed for murder. "As Satanick wouldn't confirm whether Macarona was alright or not besides denying us the need to see her, I cannot ignore the fact he's probably going to have her killed. Lil, I need you to tell me what exactly he might do to her; leave no stone unturned and provide every detail of this. We must make sure she is safe and sound."

The demonic lady put a bent finger to her chin, sitting back in the chair and considering the possibilities that the Gentleman Devil would've employed if he was going to slaughter the young angel. "Well, it depends. If she resists, Macarona would be slain simply because she attempted to escape or negotiate something with him and refused to even hold up her end of the bargain. I know she'd never agree to aid him in any way, but would try to alleviate some of the restrictions on her if she had the opportunity to. Believe me, Etihw, my dipshit husband's sometimes willing to speak about that sort of stuff with his prisoners provided he can try to get something from them in exchange. However, he's capable of killing her however he wishes, saying she resisted arrest and tried to escape the confines of imprisonment."

"So she might be safe for a while?" the Goddess asked, hoping this meant Macarona would be alright.

"Maybe, though there is another factor to be accounted for: those who knew the deceased," Lil explained. "Daimonji's the dead guy, he's one of my dipshit husband's assassins. Anyone who knows him and likes the guy is perfectly likely to exact revenge if there was a good reason why they wanted vengeance. Daimonji got his job because his family was loyal to my dipshit husband for a time up until they were implicated in a plot against competitors who were trying to seize the same territory they wanted. The opposition secured it because they were associates of Murdock, the Steward, whereas Daimonji's entire family was tried and convicted—executed, I should say, though Daimonji betrayed them because what his family did was against an ally of his superior, and he's a loyal dog to the end. His family can be eliminated as they're not around anymore, plus I know Anten might look forward to a rematch against Macarona. Yet she's just too strong for even him to handle alone, so he'll think twice about facing off against her again as he'd lose."

"But there'd still be somebody, right?" Etihw asked as she got worried. "Did Daimonji have any friends?"

"Not too many, but there's Maekami for one because they worked together as assassins before Maekami's retirement. He and Daimonji were acquaintances of sorts, though not that close actually; Maekami might not pose too much of a threat to Macarona even though he is quite skilled and is also one of the few individuals who could defeat my dipshit husband in single combat. There is another individual I've heard of, an angel named Cosmea from the Corporate Heaven who loved Daimonji and dated him. She'd totally be devastated if she heard he was killed by somebody."

"Would this Cosmea become a threat if your husband told her Macarona was the killer?"

"Girl's a mage, so yeah; she really loves Daimonji and would even go so far as to take the matter into her own hands if she believes the perp's not being pursued. She'll attempt to claim vengeance for sure. The only people who're aware of their relationship are: my dipshit husband, Anten, Maekami, and I. I've never met her myself, but I know the only demons she trusts are Daimonji because she loves him and Maekami because she trusts him. Now that her crush is dead, the only one who might get her off Macarona is Maekami, but that's if he's willing to even be of some help."

Etihw took a deep breath and sighed. "Then let's hope he can make the right decision for Macarona's sake."

…

"You don't mind if I come in, do you?" the demonic assassin asked as he gazed upon the young angelic lady staring at him. Her own gaze was more of a scowl when she laid her eyes upon him. Initially happy over the prospect of greeting somebody else at her door before heading out for work, the angel frowned and leaned against the door frame to her apartment when she discovered it was Anten. "I've got something to tell you if you'd care to listen. Nice outfit by the way." His compliment of her was just a tactic he employed to try and make her stay and listen even if she didn't want to.

Attired in a maid outfit colored light blue-green with Cosmea flowers—the type of flower she was named after—adorning the fringes on both sides of her black hair, her pink eyes shut as she sighed and got her brown laced boots on for work. A halo was gripped in her hands which she held above her head and applied a levitation spell to make it float there just as all other angels did whenever they wore their halos. "What do you want, Anten?" Cosmea asked, her two twintails which hung low over her torso swaying as she stepped out of her apartment and locked the door behind her. The white ribbons on each one looked nice and went with the white apron she picked up at a manor where she worked as a groundskeeper and gardener. Her four wings beat gently as she stretched them out. "I'm on my way to work, you know?"

"I can see that," Anten replied with a cocky smirk, looking forward to breaking the news to her after making some small talk. "As punctual as ever, I see, as far as what Daimonji says sometimes." He inwardly chuckled, though suppressed the urge to laugh aloud at the thought of her forgetting work and rushing off on a different errand. While the Cherub angel was normally calm and serene around Daimonji and friendly with Maekami—but not Anten since she couldn't stand his behavior and attitude—he imagined she'd be expressing a different sort of behavior herself when she heard the news he'd come to bring at Satanick's command. "You know, it's been a while since you've seen him."

"We're getting together real soon, if that's what you're implying," Cosmea said, trying to avoid getting mad at the assassin for simply being present. Usually Anten teased her and Daimonji about their relationship, and she couldn't afford to waste time interacting with this lout over that. She wanted to ignore him, shut out whatever news he had for her. "Not that you'd care since you're not invited; it's a date between Daimonji and I. I shouldn't need to elaborate further."

"Hey, I do care since I'm not invited," the assassin retorted in mock sorrow. "Who wouldn't invite me?"

"Don't you have someone else to infuriate or something else to occupy your time instead of killing it with me?" the Cherub angel inquired coldly, not bothering to look at him. She might've known about the work Daimonji did, but Cosmea didn't ever want it to come up as a topic in their interactions with each other. Nor did she ever want to deal with Anten, though she was fine with Maekami. "Besides, me for one—as well as the other people you purposely irritate."

"Nope, I'm here to see you. Boss' orders and all that even if it does irk you."

"I thought Satanick wouldn't get involved in Daimonji's relationship with me so long as Daimonji worked for him, or has that now changed?" She still didn't turn to face Anten. "Don't tell me he wants something from me."

"It has nothing to do with the boss man—well, a bit, but not really. It actually concerns Daimonji," Anten said and made his best attempt to frown somberly to try coming across as convincing to her. Apparently it must've worked because his mention of the late assassin got her attention as she finally turned to face him. "Sorry, lass, but he's dead."

"Dead…" The word rolled right off her tongue as she processed the information. Her eyes slowly widened.

"Yep, a dying shame, ain't it if you'll pardon the pun as it was totally unintended. It was while on the job."

"D-Daimonji's…dead…" the Cherub angel stammered, whispering nervously as she started to tremble. Tears began to form in her eyes as she struggled with whether she believed Anten or not. It was a terrible revelation. Surely it wasn't true, was it? It couldn't have been because Daimonji promised to see her after this latest assignment was done. "I-it isn't p-possible, right?" she inquired of Anten, desperately trying to not believe him. "You're just joking again, right?"

"Sorry, no joke this time. Guy's dead as dead." His remarks on the subject were blunt even though he tried coming across to her as completely sincere on the matter. In all honesty it didn't bother him too much since Daimonji wasn't really that close to him even though they worked together as coworkers a lot. Still, it upset Cosmea which was what mattered more because of the Gentleman Devil's order to inform her of the other veteran's untimely death.

Her breathing became a tad heavier as she began to tremble. "I-if s-so, where did it happen? Can I-I at least see his body to confirm he's dead? Surely the Gentleman Devil won't deny me that much, right? Do I have that right?"

Anten smiled. "Sure, that can be arranged. Just drop by after work if you need time to cope with the info."

"I-I see, t-thank you, Anten," Cosmea responded and entered the stairwell to descend towards the first floor. The demonic assassin was right behind her, choosing not to blow his cover around her because she could've suspected he was up to something. The Cherub angel gripped the railing tightly as she walked down, feeling her breath get caught in her throat while becoming slightly lightheaded. This revelation of her boyfriend's death made her dizzy, but Cosmea did her best to make an attempt at processing the news as best she could. She still wasn't sure if Anten told her the truth and she couldn't be certain he or Satanick would tell the entire truth. Still, the only way to be certain was to see Daimonji's corpse laid out before her, something she feared could've most likely been approaching. It was, and there wasn't anything she could do about it except for paying respects if he did indeed die…and avenging his death by killing the one who took his life away from her. Whoever it was, the perpetrator would pay for killing Daimonji. Her resolve for revenge was clear.

…

Holding an arm up to examine the sleeve of her outfit, she checked it for signs of any sort of bugs like the ones Glasses discovered in both his personal quarters and the new apartment Macarona was given. She had done the same to the rest of the new clothes she was given and now wore, thankful no bugs were hidden within them to monitor anything about her. Macarona had to admit Satanick was a suspicious person, someone who wanted to observe others to check if they were a threat or not or could've been used by him in some way. In the case of the former, she'd have been dealt with appropriately which was understandable if he wasn't a threat and she was; the latter, an unwilling tool via blackmail.

The young angel was thankful to Glasses and Kiku for having provided the outfit to her. Instead of the normal green and red sailor uniform decorated with cross designs, Macarona was dressed in a pair of black jeans and a t-shirt colored dark violet with a dark blue sweater jacket over it. White buttons lined the center of this last article of clothing in case she had to button up due to cold temperatures, though the temperature outside was fairly warm today meaning she wouldn't need to do so. As the cap she usually wore didn't go with the outfit, she left it with her regular clothes today instead which were in the hamper nearby. Later she would wash her uniform by herself and leave it aside for when she would return to the Gray Garden. For today and the following days she'd be in the Devil's Kingdom, she had to fit in.

Looking over herself in the large mirror hanging from the wall in her new private quarters, she reflected on the events of yesterday and thought of how lucky she was to have secured some privileges for herself while she was still a prisoner of the Gentleman Devil. Her meeting with Glasses went very well as he listened to her story intently without asking questions until the very end when she finished speaking to further clarify matters with elaborate details. While Macarona was sure he would've believed her, she still couldn't help but feel a bit surprised and relieved that he did. Because Mors was there as well, he too promised to offer some aid by letting her know he'd inform his parents about what had happened and submit a report of what he heard to Her Majesty. Macarona was very grateful to them since she knew she could count on them both, and she was very thankful for what Satanick's son was able to acquire for her.

Following their discussion, he went to speak with his father whether the Gentleman Devil was busy or not. Demanding an audience with him, Glasses put forth what Macarona had requested when the angelic girl told him what she wanted. It wasn't much, and the Devil's son stated the privileges were few and easy to grant without too much trouble because Macarona agreed to be a prisoner. However, she wasn't to be confined to the room he left her in; instead, the young angel was given her very own personal quarters in the castle during the duration of her imprisonment. These new quarters were similar to the apartment Glasses and Kiku lived in, but with fewer rooms—just a bedroom, a bathroom that also included a washing machine and dryer for clothes in addition to the standard amenities in bathrooms, and a small kitchen with a smaller dining area inside. The apartment was fully furnished and a lot better than the one room, so the angel didn't complain despite its small size because it was at least cozy. Furthermore, she wasn't to be confined to those quarters either even though she was allowed to live in them since Macarona also received the privilege of getting to go outside into the town of Zlienderstrom to explore it. She was allowed into town, but couldn't go beyond its borders to the outskirts unless she was supervised by somebody of a high ranking position in the government. Medouco may have become a personal warden who would've watched the angel while in town to prevent her from escaping, but even her own authority didn't exceed higher ups. Those were all the privileges Macarona asked for; they were fairly reasonable, though Satanick was loath to grant his permission before reluctantly deciding to let her have each of those privileges.

The fact he granted them with reluctance might've been an act since he could've been planning something. Satanick was the Devil of this underworld and he could've refused, though not doing so was odd. He probably feigned averseness, seeking to harm to Macarona in some clandestine way. She was grateful, but couldn't help but be suspicious.

Whatever the case, Macarona would be prepared to deal with whatever happened while touring the town of Zlienderstrom with Medouco at her side. Of all three privileges she was grateful for, having Medouco around was a blessing since she had somebody she trusted with her. The Gorgon could provide her with information when asked, and in turn Macarona would be a bodyguard of sorts for her. A bit strange when the demonic maid was supposed to be a warden in that same kind of capacity, though of the two, only the angel knew how to fight and could protect Medouco. Although it was supposed to be the other way around, the Gorgon had no experience in combat and was thus not a suitable choice to be Macarona's personal warden for a permanent period. Yet the angel was undaunted in that regard, demanding that nobody else but Medouco alone was to keep a close watch on her. Her determination to get that one privilege secured was basically stubbornness, though Macarona wouldn't accept anybody else but the demonic maid as her warden. Some might've said the Gorgon would've been more of a personal attendant; they couldn't be further from the truth in spite of the fact that Macarona still willingly agreed to be a prisoner—albeit one with certain privileges to ensure she was active and could learn more about the Devil's Kingdom while in the company of somebody from it.

Stretching her arms in the air behind her head and lowering them as she strolled over to the front door of the apartment, Macarona took the knob in her hand after unlocking it to turn the thing so she could open the door. It was only going to be her and Medouco for much of her time in the Devil's Kingdom. They'd be alone together even though Macarona was going into Zlienderstrom to meet other demons. Glasses had gone back to work today while Kiku was bringing Mors to the train station since it was his last day visiting for business in this underworld now that negotiations with a tour of several companies throughout the hell were concluded. Since waking up in this underworld, Macarona learned she'd been unconscious for about several days to a week which was the average span of a day or so in her own world. Although nobody knew of her presence while she was unconscious, she expected word would've gradually gotten around at a slow pace if not faster. She had only just woken up fairly recently, so only the castle staff and other faculty members who worked in the various departments within Nightrise Castle would've become aware of her presence at once over time. However, Macarona was the one speeding up knowledge of her presence by heading into the town. Knowing not many demons wouldn't have supported her was expected regardless of who they were and what they did, though she was a bit surprised upon hearing from Glasses that a most likely supporter was actually his boss, Sullivan.

She heard of him from Lil and was only one of the demons she wanted to meet besides Maekami, whom she was also familiar with from the demonic lady's allusions to him. Unfortunately, she wasn't given access to anywhere in Nightrise Castle, so no meeting could be arranged with him unless she happened to meet him by chance out in town. Nevertheless, the thought of another potential ally in the Devil's Kingdom was comforting even if he was afraid to do much due to circumstances hindering him from being too effective. The same was true for many demons who called this underworld home; they were either loyal to Satanick or concerned about crossing him via any opposition. Macarona didn't expect them to be of much aid because of that and she was totally fine with it since she was merely seeking to learn more about this society that had become so disenfranchised in terms of gender and wealth. She didn't expect to change much now on her own, but little acts could've slightly swayed the demons of the Devil's Kingdom. Perhaps their opinion of her would change slowly over time—maybe they'd consider her an acquaintance of sorts if not really a full friend.

Stepping out into the hallway, the young angel found the Gorgon standing outside her door waiting for her. Medouco looked a little bit better now that nobody like the Gentleman Devil was threatening her. She still appeared nervous about being the only demon guarding Macarona as a warden, but overall she was perfectly fine. Instead of the dress she'd worn yesterday, the demonic maid was now wearing a pink and white nurse's dress fitted with a pink and red belt. Her boots were the same colors, but with red stockings on her legs which were partly seen on her feet through a pair of square holes on the boots that were crossed over by white strips forming an 'x' on each one that ended at two pairs of red ribbons. The pink cufflinks on the end of her sleeves also had a red fabric as part of it with two white buttons on it just as there were four on the belt and the one on her red collar, but the three remaining buttons on the top of her dress were red. Atop her head was a nurse's cap adorned by a red ribbon like the ones on her boots and—surprisingly—her snakes too.

With a smile Macarona made eye contact with her to greet her warden. "Ah, good day, Medouco. I'm glad to see you're here. Were you waiting long for me?" she inquired in a polite manner. "If so, I apologize for the wait."

"N-no, i-it's fine, Miss Macarona, I had only just got here a couple minutes ago, actually," Medouco replied.

"Just 'Macarona' will do," the angel commented with a comforting smile to let her know formalities weren't necessary. "I'd rather not be addressed so formally since I'm a citizen—well, a prisoner here in your underworld." It was something of a technicality in accordance to the latter principle, but regardless she wanted the formality dropped.

"O-oh, m-my apologies," the Gorgon apologized unnecessarily, not realizing it wasn't needed. Her station as a maid must've been the reason for that as the training she received for this position could've instilled a proper way to behave around others. Learning how to interact with others was definitely part of the program since she needed to be taught how to respond to orders given by superiors and how to address them and other individuals of more importance than her. Considering the angel wasn't one such individual—despite the fact she was well-known as one of the Gray Garden's four heroines, the reincarnated descendant of Rigatona—Medouco didn't need to apologize or be formal.

"No, it's alright, no apologies needed; you didn't do anything wrong, Medouco. It's just a preference of mine," Macarona briefly explained to put the Gorgon at ease. "I like your nurse's outfit. It looks very pretty. Do you wear that often whenever you're heading out into town, or if you're assisting the castle's medical physicians with their work?"

"A-ah, u-um, t-thanks, I-I do wear it outside a lot," Medouco answered as she made small talk with the angel while they were walking through the corridors. The Gorgon was Macarona's guide, leading her to the foyer entrance where a large set of ornate oak wood doors led out into the front courtyard. "I-I'm supposed to since I-I need to show the other demons what sort of work I-I do when not serving as a maid. I-I do help the doctors sometimes, though others usually see me on the battlefield—in which case those others are the soldiers I'm called upon to heal with my magic."

"You can use healing spells?" the angelic girl asked out of curiosity, surprised to hear the Gorgon was a combat medic, a healer who provided her services not just as a maid, but as a cleric. Healing spells usually fell under the school of divine and holy magic. Few demons outside of the Gray Garden and the Flower World could cast them, so Macarona was in awe to meet one such demon who lived in a hell, one of many hells in fact where black magic was prevalent.

The demonic maid nodded. "Yes, I was born into a wealthy family that had connections to some corporate businesses and universities in the Corporate Heaven. They had me enrolled in one such university, the very best of the bunch in fact, where I learned the strongest of healing arts. My parents wanted to get in Mr. Satanick's good graces and they thought making a gift of me as a healer was the best means of currying favor with him. That's why they sent me to learn healing magic so I could be useful in that regard, though he already has physicians he trusts and so he thus orders me to put my arts to good use on the battlefield. I'm lucky to have survived all the skirmishes I was involved in, though I can only hope I'm not sent off in a war against a heaven such as the Corporate Heaven or a world like yours, Macarona."

"Sounds like it must've been a hard life," Macarona expressed sympathy for her. "Do you ever wish it'll get better so you won't have to be put on tough missions like that to live a much more peaceful life than one of strife?"

"I do, though it's not always entirely unpleasant. Usually I'm left alone to my assignments as a maid unless I'm called upon by others to assist them in that capacity or to heal somebody. When I was in the university people hardly paid much attention to me until I attended my classes and turned in assignments I was given. I didn't have too many friends, but that wasn't because the angels didn't like me; rather, they minded themselves and only interacted with me whenever they wanted to pose questions or work with me on group projects. Everybody was an angel and I didn't really fit in too well because I was the only demon in attendance, though nobody bothered me or ridiculed me for being a demon. If the Corporate Heaven were any other heaven, I might be mocked and discriminated against—I might even be slain. Yet everyone in the Corporate Heaven doesn't really discriminate against demons too much unless demons cause trouble."

"I know the Corporate Heaven shares commercial ties with the Devil's Kingdom. Is that a reason?"

"It is the only main reason, yes," Medouco responded to Macarona's question as they were walking out the entrance into the courtyard. "Plenty of the Corporate Heaven's economic revenue and income comes from the Devil's Kingdom which makes up a third of the overall funds in total. The other two thirds come from other heavens and itself. True to its mission statement, the Corporate Heaven is a civilization built by business for business. It'll not sacrifice too much to ruin relations with potential business partners because every little bit helps support its main financial systems. Among the heavens, it's the major hub for commercial trade and economic security in its markets even though Deities' Circle, the heaven governed by Justim, God of All Gods, is the leading heaven. The reason why the Corporate Heaven secured prominence for its role and position isn't just because it deals with other heavens and acts as an international banking system for them, but it also acquires goods and services through the Devil's Kingdom that make their way throughout networks established by the heavens in other worlds just as they come from other hells too. All such products and amenities are distributed through importation and exportation too much like in the heavens. However, only the Devil's Kingdom does business with the Corporate Heaven due to its close proximity to it. It's why the Corporate Heaven is economically strong, and so is the Devil's Kingdom for the very same reason. It's just a very good business custom."

"And what of illegal services like the black markets such as those governed by Warwick, the Business Devil?" Macarona asked. "Don't they also provide some goods and services even though they operate against the law?"

"To some extent they do, Macarona. However, they were outlawed by Her Majesty. Before her legislation banning them was put into effect, black markets were able to offer goods and services not found in ordinary markets. They possessed what might've been needed or wanted, and a few items were even located in regular markets because they came from legitimate businesses. What went on sale included legitimate goods and services, but prices would be varied. Fees could've been jacked up as high as the seller wanted, thus narrowing the scope of who could purchase what was on sale because the goods and services were limited in number due to either rarity or frequency in how many were available at the time. However, some vendors even sold stuff at much cheaper prices to widen the gap because the goods and services they provided were more readily available, thereby allowing everyone to purchase something. No tariffs were placed on what the black markets sold and everything was smuggled over the borders of underworlds and even a few heavens as well; officials who were involved in the black markets could've easily overlooked them on purpose."

"I guess Her Majesty's ruling must've disenfranchised a lot of demons who served in the black markets and purchased stuff in them," the young angel stated deductively based on what Medouco told her which led to the idea Macarona reached. She recalled hearing about that from GriRea herself, but chose not to say anything about that yet if she really needed to because they were still at the castle despite departing it for Zlienderstrom. For now, she let the Gorgon continue speaking so the angel could better understand the other side of the story concerning black markets in hells.

"It did, though her final verdict didn't actually affect the underworlds entirely—just Mr. Warwick's, but the individual demons who partook in the black markets were also negatively impacted. On the whole, they didn't consist of that high of a percentage in the underworlds. Rather, they formed less than twenty-seven percent of the general funds. Although it was still a huge hit to the international economy and affected national economies too, what was lost was gradually recovered over time. For some underworlds it didn't take too long because of their respective time zones and also because they lost relatively little; it lasted a bit longer in others for the same reasons, especially when others lost more. Eventually financial wounds were soon fully mended." Considering her status as a lowly maid in Nightrise Castle, it appeared Medouco might not have been aware that any black markets still in existence might've still been operating even in this underworld. Yet her testimony about how the black markets affected the underworld once they were banned by GriRea demonstrated how strong they were. The fact they comprised a little over a fifth of the complete economy in underworlds on an international sphere exemplified it, plus her knowledge demonstrated she was quite educated.

"I see," Macarona nodded in understanding as she could comprehend the effects of such an economic issue and the results of what happened when it was outlawed. Though what she just learned wasn't enough in of itself, Medouco provided the angel with plenty of tidbits that helped paint a clear picture of some business customs in hells. As complex as it all was, the ideas in theory were simple to comprehend. She could only imagine how complicated everything was beyond the general fundamentals. Yet knowing enough from what she knew about the underworlds' economy which was reinforced by the Gorgon's explanation indicated there must've still been animosity towards the Queen because of her ruling banning the operations of black markets and whatever was traded within them. Perhaps they might've been in conflict with one another if the various branches became disunited by the law separating them from its centralized government in the Black Market World, or maybe they were trying to reconnect with Warwick and continued to function for that purpose. Either scenario seemed likely, and she knew Satanick was still the Left Hand of the Business Devil for sure. However, she couldn't theorize further than that for now. "Anyway, how would we get to Zlienderstrom, Medouco? Back in the Gray Garden we have trains for transportation in between towns, but we also use warp slates to teleport between various points in each of the regions and to the portals leading to the allied underworlds and heavens. Is there something much similar of that effect in the Devil's Kingdom, or do people rely on another mode of transportation?"

Medouco shook her head. "I don't know if there are any sort of teleportation devices in this underworld. The Corporate Heaven might've come up with some sometime after I left it as there weren't any present then. Fortunately, there are trains that do travel between the different regions and settlements of our hell. Yet Zlienderstrom is close enough to get there by car instead of having to take a train." The mention of the word 'car' made Macarona perk up since she hadn't heard much about those kinds of things before aside from a little bit she learned in school. The cars she heard of were found in some worlds. While she was familiar with the concept of cars and how they were an effective mode of transportation, she had never seen those kinds of vehicles in her life—perhaps as Rigatona, but not Macarona. Seeing the angel react in surprised confusion, Medouco thought she'd clarify it better. "You've never heard of cars, Macarona?"

"Somewhat, yes, since I did learn a bit about them in school. What we've covered about them was confined only to a basic history lesson, really, so I don't know too much about them. I've never even seen one before in my life, actually, which is why my knowledge of them is so limited. Are there such vehicles in the Devil's Kingdom, Medouco?"

The Gorgon nodded in response. "Indeed, though not on an advanced scale in terms of progression. You see, Macarona, cars are a staple in some worlds as I believe you might've learned already." Having confirmed that with a nod from the angel, the demonic maid went on. "In some worlds they're more modern whereas few have some that are surprisingly far more advanced than even that because of significant advances in their technological sciences. Yet the Devil's Kingdom does not belong in either group, for it is on a spectrum that isn't so technologically advanced. While it does possess some modern forms of communication like cellphones and maybe some computers, everything else is not on the same scale. Older forms of various kinds of technology outnumber newer innovations by such a large degree that the latter barely surpasses even ten percent of the total amount of technological innovations. Although this underworld doesn't possess much of the modern equipment, what little it has is useful only for contacting other underworlds and the Corporate Heaven. Everything else hasn't been updated for years, sometimes even centuries because the state in which they exist and function somehow flows smoothly even if at a slower pace than in other worlds." Medouco shut her eyes and sighed in what could've only been described as somber frustration. "I do wish our society was better equipped with better technology, though. We're what some might consider a backwards civilization in that respect. While it is pleasant, it's not anywhere near quicker paces at which other civilizations grow and develop. Improvement is very helpful."

"Improvement always is," Macarona agreed despite knowing that even something wrong could've been improved to become much worse—in which case the enhancement was the opposite as deterioration and eventual diminishment. Watching the maid raise an arm to signal another demon she saw in a part of Nightrise Castle, a quick glance at that area informed the angel it must've been a garage. That was something she knew because there were a lot in the Gray Garden, a few of which several members of her family owned as workshops for their work and hobbies. A coupe limousine pulled up in the driveway near them after Medouco waved him over as the driver—an Oni like Kiku, but was a gruff male attired in a standard jacket and pants with a white, grizzled beard—stretched his arms. Eyeing Macarona with an air of suspicion about him, the Oni cautiously reached down to grab the pistol holstered at his side in case the angel tried something he didn't approve of while said angel examined the vehicle. "Ah, I get what you're saying about the lack of technological innovations," she commented casually. "This is what you call a car, yes? It looks nice, though appears to be outdated according to what you said comparing it and other technological enhancements from other worlds." Aware the driver had his weapon at the ready, she turned to address him. "Sorry, just making conversation."

"I-it's fine, s-she's with me, I-I'm her warden," Medouco nervously spoke to him next to reassure the Oni that Macarona wouldn't be any trouble and that she was keeping a close watch on her. "W-we'd like to go into town, please," she added while climbing aboard and taking a seat. The angel followed suit, claiming the seat right beside Medouco.

Gradually taking his hand away from the pistol, the driver sighed. "Fine, if you know what you're doing. But so help me, maid, I will not hesitate to put a bullet in either of your skulls if you cause trouble and have lied to my face." Despite turning away to get the vehicle started, he looked back at Medouco before driving. "And I also know you're not one of the Devil's best even if all you can do is healing and maid work. You call yourself a warden without arms?"

Watching Medouco tense up in fearful shyness, afraid of how to answer a question she didn't know how to respond to, Macarona kept her hands on her lap as she leaned forward. "She is the warden I myself have requested from Mr. Satanick himself. His own son assisted me with that request. I can assure you she is the best warden to ensure I'll not escape, and I intend to fully cooperate by being a prisoner. You'll not encounter any trouble from me." Her assurance didn't appear to be enough as the Oni wasn't entirely convinced yet, so the young angel followed it up with some intimidation. "The only trouble that may likely arise will likely come from you due to your suspicion of me which I shall concede is perfectly understandable. However, know this: I'm the reincarnated descendant of Rigatona, and I helped my world defeat Ivlis, the Flame Devil, himself. That name and my achievement might mean something to you." Evidently both did, for the look of utter terror in the Oni's eyes was enough for Macarona to know her threat was very effective. Not wanting to assault or even offend her now, the driver shuddered as he turned around. Although he did take his pistol out of the holster—which garnered a severely cold glare from the angel that sent more chills down his spine—he emptied it of ammunition prior to placing all of the bullets and the gun itself into the glove compartment by him. Even if he was to use it to defend himself, the Oni knew he wasn't fast enough to counter an attack when she was too close, plus he had no combat experience. His gun was mostly for show. "There," Macarona said with a smile, thankful they had avoided an unnecessary confrontation even if she did have to threaten him. "Now, may we please travel into Zlienderstrom?"

…

She was told Zlienderstrom was a town, a descriptive word denoting it as simply that: a town. Towns were not as big as cities, but surpassed villages in all manner of definitions related to geographical size and space. Although one could refer to each one as being a village, town, or city in some respects, there were two differences on what they were called by people. One was the title, the name of a settlement; the other was simply however one referred to the place. While this wasn't a serious matter at all since it all depended on those minor factors, Macarona felt the words did not do some places like Zlienderstrom justice enough. Zlienderstrom was indeed a town, though one could go further in describing it as a castle town because of all the large buildings and structures taking up plenty of space within this area. Road signs on the sidewalks pointed out the names of streets and where the various districts were. Everything was in another language, however, so Macarona couldn't actually read the writing because she wasn't fluent in it. Medouco could've translated for her, but she didn't want to bother the Gorgon—or the driver for that matter—with the issue. The Gorgon had instructed the Oni to drive around for a bit to let the angel see the city, staying quiet until she was addressed. Even the driver kept silent, not saying a word while the angelic passenger behind him took in the sights for herself.

"It really is such a pleasant looking castle town," Macarona commented to break the silence—not that it was needed due to the sounds and noise of demons going about their business throughout the town. Some caught sight of her in the car, yet many didn't really care. It seemed they might've thought she was an envoy of sorts from the Corporate Heaven even if she wasn't exactly dressed like one—or was from that heaven. "I think we've spent—what was it?—about half an hour or so driving around and I still can hardly believe my eyes. Everything seems so normal here. I heard from Lil that this underworld was an awful place because of the restrictions on women and wealth, but it looks nice."

"It does," Medouco agreed, though not without confirming the validity of the other's statement. "However, you're correct about the restrictions. In many other places in the Devil's Kingdom, there are whole cities and towns filled with aristocrats living lavish lifestyles. The middle class could survive in such places provided demons constituting it perform services for the upper classes they work for. However, even people of that social rung might descend into the slums and ghettos which house the poor and less fortunate of those who couldn't advance in society unless they had enough talent and skill to be useful. If Miss Lil has informed you about much of our civilization already, I'm sure she mentioned that racial tensions are nonexistent in this underworld because Mr. Satanick allows other races of demons to advance. Unfortunately, this is only on an individual basis because not everybody can secure the same opportunities. It's all about being good and useful with the right connections that can help somebody advance up the social ladder. It's possible, though it is also possible for aristocrats to fall from power and be forced to live within the same poor conditions. Here appearances can be deceiving and illusionary, but they can also be marred to a point when even the rich can fall."

"Meaning your society is more or less a rat race, so to speak," the young angel deduced from the explanation.

"Strictly speaking, of course it is," the Gorgon responded as she continued the brief lecture. "Hamlets suffer the worst here because they only consist of just a few homesteads with the settlements themselves being too few in total, plus they're located far away from larger settlements. Although they could survive on their own via agricultural farming for subsistence farming along with hunting and gathering, the lands on which they work and live are in poor quality. The same is true for a lot of the poor villages which don't have much wealth to purchase much via mercantile transactions, leaving them with little they could use to improve their lands, crops, and livestock. That covers it for ruralized living, though suburban culture is relatively better as towns are closer to cities by only about several hours to a day. The towns which live off of cities are better able to construct markets, housing, and effective provincial governments distributing municipal offices in various towns with one provincial government per region. All of them are loyal to higher branches of the central government in cities with the core located here in Zlienderstrom, one of two capital cities in this underworld."

"There are two capital cities?" Macarona asked. "I though each heaven and hell had only one."

"The Devil's Kingdom is unique in that regard because Her Majesty lives here too," Medouco went on. "She lives in a region known as Winter's Valley where much of the weather is snowy and frigid, though still warm enough because of Mr. Satanick's powers with the weather. He's able to make it warm in the most coldest of places and vice versa. The capital city Her Highness resides in is named Cuchulainn; I've never been there, so I cannot speak of what it's like even though I know the name. From what I've heard of it, however, it sounds like a much grander city than even Zlienderstrom which many say is second only to Cuchulainn. The fact this is the underworld the Queen resides in and calls home is what allows the Devil's Kingdom to have two capital cities. However, Mr. Satanick is the Devil of this hell and as such he possesses the power to govern much of this underworld aside from Winter's Valley and its settlements since Her Majesty personally administers control and authority over that region. Even so, despite being the Queen, she doesn't interfere with legislation and policies Mr. Satanick puts in place; all she does is keep him in check as he's a vassal."

"How?" the angel put forth another inquiry. "Does she enforce restrictions on him to ensure this underworld doesn't collapse in on itself? Is she aware of the restrictions Mr. Satanick places on both women and wealth here?"

"She knows all about it fully well, but unfortunately doesn't do anything about it because she allows for the Devils under her command to have some greater measure of autonomy even if she herself places reasonable limits on them that're fair and easy to comprehend and follow. They may not be allowed to do certain things, but comply with her ruling because they're loyal to her and are willing to let limits prevent them from going farther than her authority would allow them to. Each of the Devils believes she is doing a fine job of acting as a passive ruler than an assertive one since there is only so much she can do by herself, and some of them even assist her with the responsibilities she must fulfill. Her dynasty was always the most popular one in the underworlds because the rulers of her family were always fair and just towards their subjects and would even mingle with them personally. Why, they even interacted with the Heavenly Council in an amicable manner. Unfortunately, Queen GriRea is the last of her line to hold the throne of all hells."

"Why's that?"

"Mainly because she doesn't have a husband or any plans of wedding for that matter—well at least not yet. I could only speculate about that because I'm not privy to such details aside from the fact she might not be old enough to take one. She's centuries old, but her ancestors were even older than her when they married. Her mother died of an illness that ran in her family, but fortunately wasn't passed down to either of her daughters; her father was slain by an otherworldly God on the Heavenly Council who became overzealous of divine providence and authority. It was a terribly unjust war because of the atrocious war crimes of torture and mass genocide he inflicted on our people. In the university I attended, I learned that deity made several speeches about why the underworlds had to be destroyed. Nobody on the Heavenly Council supported him, however, for they all were unanimously against him. In spite of receiving no support from them and the other heavens whatsoever, the God mobilized his forces against the Devil's Kingdom hoping to utterly obliterate all of it to leave the other hells scattered and disunited. The King died in one of the battles; next his wife, the reigning Queen at the time, became the ruler. The two of them, like their predecessors of the dynasty which flowed through the King's blood, reigned over the underworlds together instead of letting the King have all of the power for himself. It wasn't for long, however, because of her illness. That is a reason why Queen GriRea follows the same concept in her reign. As for the God, armies from some other heavens came to stop him; they obliterated much of his entire military force and sacked him from his job before another deity took his place and worked tirelessly to avoid committing the mistakes his predecessor made to regain everything their heaven lost for disobeying direct orders from the Heavenly Council. Since then the Devil's Kingdom fully recovered and relations with the Heavenly Council have mended."

"I'm glad it has," Macarona concurred with a smile, thankful this underworld managed to survive a conflict against that unnamed heaven. Medouco might've known its name, but the angel figured she wouldn't ask since it was unimportant. Besides, that heaven's name might've also been lost to this underworld's history or was entirely unknown to it aside from the fact it invaded. Granted, negotiations with the Heavenly Council about its assault following the war could've brought that name forward. Yet Macarona wouldn't pry out of respect for the Devil's Kingdom and GriRea. While that matter was clear, something else the Gorgon said caught her attention. "You said Her Majesty had sisters?"

"Just one," Medouco answered her, "though I'm afraid I don't know too much about her. From what I can understand so far, Queen GriRea had only one sister who was famous for being the first Mage Knight in all hells. The Mage Knight was very compassionate and lived to serve others much like her family. She differed from Her Majesty in the sense that she forsook her royalty to study magic and learn how to fight which was unheard of even in the ruling dynasty. Men of that line were usually knights since they preferred to keep their people and their families safe from any harm. This helped preserve their dynasty because the mothers could raise their children and give birth safely; however, the first Mage Knight sought to change that. She worked hard to accomplish that and usher in new military programs as well as social customs that would improve civilization as a whole. Some might've thought she was reaching too far, though the Mage Knight knew everything about politics even though she much rather preferred the art of combat and serving as a soldier in the military as opposed to ruling. Unfortunately, she too died—I think under mysterious circumstances."

"Mysterious circumstances…" the angel parroted those two words and turned to gaze back at the buildings around them while pondering on this new information concerning GriRea. She could comprehend the losses of the Queen's parents, but her sister? GriRea never mentioned that when Macarona met her in the Shadowed Sanctuary during that weekend get together. Perhaps it was something she didn't want to talk about because it brought up bad memories. Then again, the mention of mysterious circumstances made it seem like GriRea could've known about what happened and might've even had a hand in it whether it was intentional or unintentional by way of accident. Yet Macarona didn't believe the Queen would've been so heartless as to even murder her own sister, let alone harm her. It was a catastrophe that must've instilled some sense of fear, sorrow, and trauma into GriRea, so the angel dropped the touchy subject.

"It beats me about what happened, but I don't know much more beyond that," Medouco finished the topic.

"I see…" Macarona stated as she finished processing the information she comprehended from her warden. "Just one more question about Zlienderstrom, and then we should focus on finding a place to stop for lunch. Was this town always a capital city of the Devil's Kingdom, or had it been made one by a Devil who decided to make it a capital?"

"Mostly it always was," the demonic maid responded, yet again providing additional knowledge. "The town of Zlienderstrom wasn't always a castle town at first. Its origins were as a simple port colony founded by an early dynasty that ruled the underworlds, one of the first in fact. I say 'one of the first' meaning there were multiple dynasties which all conflicted between one another vying for the throne and control of all hells. For a close comparison, look no further than the Flame Underworld which was actually where the strife originated from while the official first dynasty was built in the Flower World. You can find various historical articles and relics from that time in museums and archives throughout the hells. Throughout the fights over dominance in the underworlds over each underworld, many demons arose to lay claim to various lands and regions where they could establish bases of operations for their ventures. This is how Zlienderstrom was created as a colony with a municipal governor overseeing affairs for a demon in another hell. Eventually the various dynasties grew exhausted of fighting one another because it was an exhaustion of resources and ties formed by political and commercial desires. Realizing they couldn't waste anymore of either and damage them too, the various dynasties came up with a solution. They voted on which dynasty would've secured dominance over all hells, both democratically and in duels. That's how the current dynasty which Queen GriRea comes from ascended to power over all the hells."

"And her dynasty made Zlienderstrom a capital city, correct?"

"At first before the town was relocated to Winter's Valley when one of its kings fell in love with a lady living there. That's how Cuchulainn became the capital because Winter's Valley was that region. As the strongest dynasties from each underworld, one per hell, were already serving as Devils, the move didn't affect them as even the dynasty that became the ruling monarchy were Devils. Yet a schism occurred when some politicians who lived in Zlienderstrom showed resistance against it because they consolidated their power in this region and were concerned with losing it. To placate them, the monarchy ascended one of them to the position of being the new Devil of the Devil's Kingdom after analyzing each of the potential candidates while resigning the title of 'Devil' themselves, never seeking to reclaim it. Although the monarchy no longer wanted to be Devils, they were actually still much stronger than Devils themselves."

"Ah, that's certainly a lot more than what I learned in school," Macarona complimented the Gorgon with a smile. "You're quite an expert on the history of underworlds, Medouco. I'm impressed you know that much about them."

"O-oh, i-it's nothing, Macarona. I-I just d-do a lot of reading in my spare time," the demonic maid replied, shyly blushing out of embarrassment. "A-anyway, if we're getting something to eat, there are a lot of good restaurants around here. Unfortunately, some of the proprietors may not take too kindly to having an angel among them unless the angel was in the company of an official from the government such as Mr. Satanick himself. I-I'm clearly not one, so our options are limited. The only place I know of that might be accepting is Maekami's bar; he serves alcoholic beverages, though there are also other kinds of drinks and food one would normally find in a restaurant. It's where people go if they cannot afford to dine in fancier eateries, plus employees from the castle can get a discount on the meals since Maekami used to be one himself. Other patrons might ridicule you for being an angel, b-but I-I won't." Medouco took a deep breath, hoping that didn't come across as offensive. She was worried about upsetting Macarona, but was scared of being mocked too.

"As long as they don't bother me and I don't bother them, I'm sure it'll be alright," Macarona assured her.

"I-I hope so…" the Gorgon murmured timidly as the car was pulling up to Maekami's bar. The driver heard Medouco mention it and figured he'd take them there without being instructed to drop the two passengers off there. Once the Oni came to a stop, the pair disembarked from it before driving off. Neither Macarona or Medouco told him to stay because the latter said he could drop them off anywhere the angel wanted and that she'd call him or another driver to pick them up. Now that they were alone as there weren't many demons around, the maid thought she might as well put forward a question about something that had been bugging her for some time ever since she first got the instruction to serve as the angel's personal warden. "U-um, Macarona, i-if you don't me asking, why did you pick me as your warden? I-I mean, I-I'm not good at fighting, s-so I-I can't protect you or anything. Y-you'd have been better off with a much more competent warden than I because all I-I can do is maid work and healing, a-and, a-and…" Her voice trailed off since her words were starting to become jumbled as she sped up with her speech. At one point she murmured a few words in the other language she spoke, the one that must've been native to this underworld as its national dialect. Medouco didn't consider herself a brave person, nor even a capable one for that matter, hence the self-conscious insecurities she showed.

If Macarona wanted to tease her over those, she would've. Yet she wasn't that kind of individual. Instead of mocking the demon, she gave her a warm, friendly smile and opted to tell Medouco the truth. "I chose you because I consider you a friend, Medouco." Her answer caught the Gorgon off guard as the poor girl stared at the angelic girl in surprised confusion, not having expected that kind of response from somebody who was supposed to be a prisoner. A prisoner she was meant to guard as a warden, not one she was supposed to befriend. Yet this angel said that without any sort of hesitation or fear whatsoever, making Medouco half think it was a ruse when the other half told her it was the truth. A truth she had trouble understanding or even comprehending. "You may be a demon, but I know you're not evil. You're sweet and very kind, Medouco. That's why I'm placing my trust, my faith, and my life in your hands." Hearing this made the Gorgon's eyes widen because she hadn't expected Macarona to be so nice to her and place so much trust in her.

"M-Macarona…y-you…" she stuttered in disbelief as the young angel brushed locks of hair out of her eyes.

"I will be completely honest with you too, Medouco. I do think of you as a friend, though I know I cannot make it on my own in the Devil's Kingdom as a prisoner of your Devil. That's why I need to learn more about it, and what better way than to associate with and befriend some of its inhabitants. I do not plan on becoming a resident here, nor will I become a demon. My world is in danger, Medouco, and I must do everything I can to help it and the other people who live in my world. Although I cannot do much in this capacity as a prisoner, I still can't give up on trying to be of as much help as I can. However, it isn't just my own world that needs help; it's your underworld too, Medouco. The Devil's Kingdom has placed restrictions on wealth and gender in its civilization which have severely harmed its people. I know all about it from Lil and I want to help her too by seeing what I can do to help reform the Devil's Kingdom with her. It's going to be difficult, Medouco, and I don't expect you to help me because of your own loyalties and concerns. Still, I fully trust you nonetheless and although I hope you can assist in the endeavor, I shall not hold you to it or force you to help."

Medouco still couldn't believe it. Macarona had pledged to be a prisoner of her own free will, yet was still seeking to oppose the Gentleman Devil in any way possible. Why, though, wasn't because she wanted to seek power of any sort, but rather change—change and improvement for this underworld despite not being a resident of it or even this world for that matter. In spite of this opposition against critically high odds against her, Macarona was going to help her own world and this hell too whether she had aid or not. She was honest with the Gorgon and told her why, yet still called her a friend which shocked Medouco because the angel was taking a huge risk by trusting the maid with her life. As Medouco was too baffled to say something or even think of something to say, her mouth hung open slightly in such surprise that she still couldn't comprehend it. Why was this angel, a young girl no less, doing something so dangerous when she could've died? Had she gone mad, or was she really so foolish as to risk her own life for the unattainable? These questions and similar ones plagued the demon's mind, though before her stood a living contradiction to those questions.

A sudden cry for aid from an alley in between Maekami's bar and another building jolted her back into the reality around her. Instinctively Medouco jumped with a timid squeak, accidently clutching onto Macarona's arm and hiding behind her before she realized she had made a foolish mistake by doing so. Yet when she retracted her arm, the angel merely smiled at her again. "Don't worry, Medouco, I'll take care of it if any trouble bothers us, okay. Just leave this little investigation to me and stay behind me for safety." While saying this, she sauntered straight towards the alley.

Unsure of what to do and what to make of the speech Macarona gave, Medouco simply followed her out of fear of being left behind. "W-wait, I-I'm coming too!" If she failed the task assigned to her, what would happen to her? If she didn't help Macarona, what would become of the young angel? The Gorgon didn't know, but still had to do something.

…

 **Alright, I'm going to stop here for now and further develop Zlienderstrom and some of the demons living there in the following chapter. So far I've covered quite a bit of interesting non-canon lore and introduced Cosmea as well. The boss battle against her shall be taking place in just a few more chapters after development for Zlienderstrom and characters from the Devil's Kingdom—including the Obsolete Dream cast—is finished. Not only have I begun to flesh out this space of the Devil's Kingdom, I have also delved into Winter's Valley, another new non-canon region of this underworld where GriRea lives within the capital city of Cuchulainn.**

 **Cuchulainn was named after the most famous hero of the Ulster cycle in the Irish Iliad. According to Irish mythology, he was the son of Lugh of the Long Hand and the grandson of the Dagna on his mother's side within the family. Additionally, his mother, Dechtire, was the daughter of Maga who herself was both a daughter to Angus, the Son of the Young, as well as a half-sister to King Conchobar. You could learn more about this amazing hero, Cuchulainn, on Wikipedia or in books such as the revised edition of Celtic Myth and Legend by Charles Squire, which was the source I had used to provide this tidbit of information for you. An additional source you might want to check out for more information is Celtic Myths and Legends by Peter Berresford Ellis.**

 **An additional thing I want to mention is something I forgot to explain in the previous chapter regarding aeromancy. According to Wikipedia where you can learn about this branch of Mancy magic, it is a divination method in which atmospheric conditions can be read and interpreted to glean meanings. In practice it's done by reading weather patterns and cosmological events. Sub-types of the concept include: Ceraunoscopy, observations of lightning and thunder; austromancy, the divination of wind; meteormancy, divination of cosmic events; aerial vision which is referred to as chaomancy; and cloud divination called nephomancy. These sub-types will be skills of aeromancy in the Mancy system of magic that is used in my fanfiction. With regards to its incorporation into Renaissance magic, it had been one of seven forbidden arts besides: pyromancy; hydromancy; chiromancy; geomancy; necromancy; and spatulamancy, all of which you can find and learn more about on Wikipedia.**


	20. Chapter Twenty: Albino and Hersilia

"You know, for some angel girl you're not half bad," the demonic girl commented, taking a swig of root beer after biting into the juicy hamburger she ordered for herself while expressing how impressed she was with said angel. "Only angels I've seen were those damn business workers in suits eating at those fancy restaurants with employees of corporations in this town and castle staff. First time an angel actually came down to see the masses and dine with them."

"You make it sound like I'm the only one, Albino" Macarona replied once she finished swallowing a piece of the turkey cutlets she ordered with gravy, mashed potatoes, and a fruit salad on the side. "There have been others, right?"

"Nah, you're the only one—well, the only one I've seen and heard of personally," Albino remarked, her white pointy tail flicking at the seat behind her. Raising an arm up, she adjusted the red shades resting atop her head of white hair and matching white horns which were the same color as her high collared shirt. A red striped necktie hung from it and a black blazer covered the shirt. The red leggings she wore went well with her eyes since they were also red as was the pleated skirt. Like her hair, horns, and shirt, Albino had white gloves on. The only article of clothing that was black was her pair of high heeled boots. She grinned boldly, flashing a smile at Macarona as she shut her eyes. "Seriously, I mean it. None of those stuffy corporate business people of the Corporate Heaven ever mingle with demons like us. You are obviously the first, Macarona, and believe me, you've definitely got some mad skills after what Hersilia and I've seen."

"Oh, thanks for saying so," the young angel said while blushing a bit in embarrassment.

"It's not as if this angel were our 'savior', Albino," the vampiric girl seated next to the other demonic student stated as if she were denying the fact it was Macarona who helped them out of that sticky situation the two demonic girls had gotten into. "Yes, she deserves our gratitude for opposing those louts, though anybody could've done the same." Clad in a black high collared dress with hems made of feathers or fur that complimented the scrunchies in her white hair done up in twintails, the young vampire merely drank the only item on the menu she could order: blood. In addition to her clothing was the pair of black mary janes on her feet with a white blouse under the dress. Furthermore, her skin was quite pale and white whereas the sclera and pupils in her eyes were black. The only part of her appearance that wasn't black or white was her irises which were red. Calmly seated at the table like Macarona and Medouco, she emanated a certain air of aristocratic grace one might've found in establishments frequented by those of the upper classes in society. "She does come across as a well-mannered individual even if she doesn't appear to be from an upper class like I am, so it is good she's aware of her place in civilization. Yet an additional favorable element would be the helpful nature she expresses."

"Come on, Hersilia, you make it sound like she's some normal girl," Albino chuckled lightheartedly, nudging the vampire with her elbow to try and gesture for Hersilia to lighten up and not be so refined in her analysis of the angel. "Then again, she might be after all, though who're we to judge after a display like the one she put on. Kicking the asses of those assholes to serve them up on a silver platter definitely makes her okay in my book even if she is actually an angel."

"Well, I'm glad you're taking that into consideration even if it the means was blunt and risky in my position. Truthfully, I'm not from the Corporate Heaven at all; I actually come from the Gray Garden," the angel said frankly.

"Oh, yeah? I've heard of that world, governed by a Goddess and Devil who made peace, right?" Albino asked to check if the little bit she knew about that world was true. Receiving a nod from Macarona in response, the demonic student leaned back in the seat of the booth the four had taken after a waitress led them to it once they entered. "So tell me, Macarona, how'd an angel like yourself wind up in the Devil's Kingdom of all places? You must travel a lot, right?"

"A bit, yes, though I've not traveled to too many other underworlds. At most I've only been to the Shadowed Sanctuary and the Flower World, but this is the first time I've come to the Devil's Kingdom as a prisoner of sorts. My visit to this underworld was not by design, however, for I was framed for murder by your Devil, Mr. Satanick, and subsequently kidnapped by him." Macarona took a sip of her lemonade once she finished explaining this to them.

"Oh, really?" Albino requested further elaboration on her new friend's circumstances. "Who died?"

"Mr. Daimonji, one the Gentleman Devil's three assassins. He was killed by Mr. Satanick to have me framed for the crime before I was taken into this underworld by him. Your Devil basically made me a prisoner in this hell, but I was able to acquire a few privileges from him thanks his son's help. One of which was to tour Zlienderstrom within the company of a personal warden, Medouco, whom I personally requested for—her attendance was another privilege."

"Oh, that guy, huh? I've seen him around the castle grounds a few times when I was passing by. Always in the company of other employees when I caught glimpses of him. He even introduced himself once on a field trip to the castle," Albino explained to continue the conversation she and Macarona were having. Neither Hersilia nor Medouco spoke up yet, so it was mostly the two of them even though the vampiric girl provided that brief analysis of the angel. Casting a glance at the Gorgon beside her while the demonic student was talking, Macarona wondered how Medouco was taking the recent speech she gave to her. Obviously the demonic maid seemed to still be having trouble adjusting to the fact she was considered a close friend by an angelic prisoner who spoke so highly of her and was willingly honest with her too. Yet the Gorgon must've been fighting an internal conflict with herself over that because she was still a maid in service to Satanick. Macarona hoped Medouco would be okay while returning her attention to Albino. "Man, what'd he do to piss off our Devil? I thought he was one of his loyal dogs in the castle, somebody who followed every order."

"I suppose the Gentleman Devil wanted a reason to frame Miss Macarona," Hersilia finally spoke, theorizing about why Satanick kidnapped her. "Murdering Mr. Daimonji was probably the best means of doing it. The fact this crime must've been committed in the Gray Garden could lead to the notion of him wanting to declare war upon it."

Macarona nodded to concur with that statement. She had thought about it herself as well and even heard a few tidbits about it from one of the demons who were bothering these girls. Apparently the guy must've worked within Nightrise Castle or was part of the army in this underworld, hence his access to the information. Word of this would've likely spread around town and eventually the entire underworld if possible. Perhaps it would've even reached GriRea's ears. "Indeed, that's precisely the very idea that has been on my mind. I have to do something to help my world."

"But you're a prisoner," Albino countered her with the obvious point Macarona herself had raised. "How will you ever hope to get home and try to help from here? I mean, I know you were allowed access into Zlienderstrom."

"True, and that's exactly something I'm hoping to use to my advantage," the young angel explained to them. "By coming into Zlienderstrom, I can meet with the citizens and interact with them firsthand to better understand the situation as I know it from Lil. Although I might not be able to get away from here at first, at the very least I could see the people and speak with them, learn about them and civilization in the Devil's Kingdom. I know all about restrictions that are placed upon women and wealth in this hell because Lil explained all of it to me, and we're hoping to reform it."

"Hmm? That sounds like a noble endeavor on your part, Miss Macarona," the vampire complimented her.

"It is, Hersilia," the angel responded. She had told the vampire before that formalities weren't necessary when addressing her, but Hersilia kept up the pretense anyway possibly because of her highborn status and regal upbringing in an aristocratic family which Macarona suspected based on how the vampiric student behaved and spoke. A further clue was her outfit which also gave it away as the dress must've been expensive; somebody from the middle class would've paid a lot of money for it, but an aristocrat could make the purchase easily without too big of a hit to finances. "Albeit one not without its difficulties. I am being truthful with all of you and everyone I meet, hoping you'd all lend assistance in some way. However, I acknowledge the fact that there are those who'd likely inform the Gentleman Devil of what I'm doing and why. By continuing along this path, I'm opening myself up to becoming a threat opposing Mr. Satanick."

"You're aware of the risks you've taken into consideration and have remained true to your course in spite of them," Hersilia responded, her opinion of the angel she was having lunch with increasing just a bit. "That's quite bold of you, Miss Macarona." However, it wasn't enough to commit to actual action just yet. "Unfortunately, I'm afraid I cannot partake in this particular endeavor of yours, at least not actively. I do come from a noble family myself, one that does indeed support the Gentleman Devil which is why I cannot take the risk of going against them. Even so, for your sake, I shall purposely neglect to inform them of my meeting with you." This part of her dialogue came out in a hushed whisper so nobody else in the bar would overhear them. "Although I cannot be of much aid other than this, I too wish for a much better Devil's Kingdom. As it stands now, our civilization isn't healthy due to the corruption. Restrictions on women must end, though I cannot say the same for wealth because I believe only those with power and experience ruling others can effectively govern a society. That is my perspective of the matter, and I don't expect you to share the same ideals."

Macarona shook her head, also whispering. "I understand, Hersilia, though if I may, I'd like to put forth a bit of a counterpoint you may consider as food for thought. Sometimes good rulers can even come from the lower classes."

"Perhaps," the vampire conceded, shutting her eyes and finishing the blood she was drinking prior to raising a finger to request a refill from a passing waiter who took the glass up to the counter at the head of the bar to fill it up. Macarona had to admit she was surprised a bar like this served blood besides normal beverages, but she supposed the blood had to be supplied for vampires who preferred a more refined means of feeding than on other people. Even so, she was glad Hersilia was considerate of her counterpoint even if the vampiric girl didn't fully agree with it. "However, I disagree with the ideal entirely because those with wealth can better distribute it to others and control it so those with unsavory intentions cannot get their hands on it. I'm sure you understand that the wealthy have the means to govern effectively and decide how to govern because that's fundamentally a reality, even if that wealth fell into wrong hands."

"It's already in the wrong hands, it always has been," the other student complained about the government already running society. "Only thing that counts in this damn civilization is money, the bottom line of the whole damn economy. People with a lot of money who always have high incomes can pay for whatever they want without much consequence. Their wages are so exorbitant and they hardly do much aside from what little they could actually do if they wanted to. They'll go any lengths to preserve their wealth, even illicitly engaging in illegal conduct including the bribes paid to others in order to acquire what they want." Albino took another swig of her root beer and sighed heavily in frustration. "That's how I was actually able to get into a good school, the academy over in the Magnus District where a bunch of other kids like me go to learn. It's pretty much the only school in town students can attend; unless they're homeschooled, pretty much anybody can get accepted so long as they have the right connections and pay well. I would have been homeschooled had it not been for a substantial bribe my father paid to the principal there to enroll me."

"Though it's what people do in other worlds, right?" Macarona asked, aware her view might've been naïve. "Many schools do require funding in order to stay in business and continue to operate. The schools over in the Gray Garden are similar from what I know, though I shall admit I am not entirely sure how otherworldly schools operate—in most foreign civilizations, though I did learn how the ones in the Shadowed Sanctuary and the Flower World work."

"Many schools in other worlds do follow the same fundamental concepts, Macarona," Medouco finally spoke up when she felt it was time to get involved in the conversation. Being left out was a bit upsetting to her because it was an indication of her incompetence in social activities like this one, so she figured she'd contribute at least something to the dialogue. "Unfortunately, some notions are taken to the extreme in the Devil's Kingdom. Students are required by force to buy their own supplies and texts; otherwise they don't get into the schools. Any money their parents might've paid shall be kept by the schools without being returned, and in turn the parents will blame both the schools for not paying back the money and their children for not having done enough or anything to be prepared on time. Time is money, after all, as everything concerning business in this underworld follows that principle. Those that do get in shall find it hard to really learn much because the schools only teach what their sponsors and people who've bribed them want them to teach. It's tough basically because our schools follow such strict curricula and care not for whatever the students want to learn."

"Yeah, and only the sponsors and additional backers can choose what sort of students get in. If they demand aristocrats only be taught, the entire student body will most likely consist of kids from noble houses. However, a well-placed bribe of enough cash can secure enrollment for even a kid from the middle and lower classes. Unfortunately, even this has its limits in some places where the bribes will have to be a monthly payment; hell, there's even awful cases of weekly bribes and bribes that only last for a single day. Yet the most terrible instances are when students are allowed to only join a single class session or attend for only less than even a couple minutes; these kids aren't students, nor are they even considered students at all for that matter—just guest listeners who're supposed to sit still and shut up. Believe me, Macarona, I myself have seen a lot of these 'students' come in and out only briefly. To top it off, they weren't visitors," Albino explained, also holding a finger up for a refill of her root beer which she finished after going over that content.

"So school faculties are really the ones in charge despite working for those who pay their wages," Macarona remarked, her voice rising slightly now that they no longer had to whisper as the others certainly weren't anymore. "I guess that does make sense in most places even if it is taken too far in the Devil's Kingdom." Following a sip of lemonade while deciding it was time to change the subject, the young angel considered asking about who those demons she saw bothering Hersilia and Albino before were. "Anyway, who were those guys bugging you two in the alleyway? They didn't appear to be students, but rather soldiers in the military or policemen from their official attire. Do you know them?"

"Know them?" Albino asked somewhat rhetorically, getting a little aggressive towards the subject. However, her anger was not directed towards Macarona which the angel understood and was thankful for. Instead, the demonic student was enraged at those other demons who were trying to bully her and Hersilia. "Hell, one of them is a senior in the academy and another often patrols the street I live on. The senior was Giltz, a unicorn from some family that used to live within one of the heavens until his family was exiled for treason; they attempted to assassinate the deity of that heaven and nearly succeeded. Now his family serve our Devil and Giltz is looking to become a personal assassin for the Devil. I haven't seen the other two before all that much, especially the centipede guy whom I never saw before, but I do know one of the other guys was Eimin, a lieutenant in one of the legions whom is also Giltz's employer as Giltz is interning under him. The town guard was Roc Hijoshiki, a mean guy whose brother is actually a rather competent physician in town."

"What was the conflict about?" the angelic girl inquired, seeking more details about the conflict she wound up getting involved in only for her to emerge unscathed and victorious over the four guys. Technically the centipede guy didn't fight back, but merely stood by and watched as Macarona subdued the others when they attacked her for even bothering to stand up for Hersilia and Albino. It was him who called off the assault when he saw they lost the fight.

"Nothing much, Giltz just stalks me a lot," Albino answered as the refills on blood and root beer came back. "Eimin sometimes helps him gang up on me. I usually hang out with Hersilia a lot, so she unfortunately gets hurt too."

"The centipede man was Tsumuri, an individual from the Crawling Insect Kingdom and a sadistic assassin; occasionally he stops by the Magnus District because some of the noble families there hire his services," Hersilia added, putting a name to the face of the centipede man. "As for Roc, he normally didn't bully us often because his unsavory behavior was focused on another girl—one of Lady Chlomaki's familiars who resided here for a bit until she requested permission to be transferred to the Witch World. I suspect Roc is turning his attention to other girls because he cannot see the familiar he liked to torture anymore now that she's no longer present in the Devil's Kingdom. Sad, but they're still louts—the lot of them. Disrespectful curs who are a blight on society that are allowed to get away with anything since they've got power and are on the side of the law which legally enables them to commit such atrocities because our own Devil freely allows them. If this patriarchal civilization weren't corrupt, I wouldn't mind it so much; nonetheless it's a horrible situation all the same because nobody bothers to punish them. Town guards like Roc and military officials like Eimin aren't here to protect us so much as they're really meant to ensure nobody opposes the Gentleman Devil. You might say that's disrespectfully blunt, but here in the Devil's Kingdom it's quite true and entirely accurate in that light."

"I see," Macarona responded as she better understood the situation from these demonic students, "though I'm not entirely unfamiliar with the subject seeing as how I heard about it from Lil. She explained a lot of what's going on within this underworld. Judging from what I learned about it through her and the bit of firsthand personal experience, I must say the issues raised are quite founded. But surely not everybody in power and not every man in this underworld is that corrupt, right? I mean, there must be some guys that can be trusted, are there? Do either of you know some?"

"Not many, no," Albino answered. "Just Jork and Chikemuri, but they're both wimps who can hardly stand up against anyone bullying them—usually it's Hanten who takes pleasure in doing it just as she does it to a lot of people."

"Not to mention Shikabone, the resident reaper and mortician who is also bullied by Hanten," Hersilia added.

Macarona blinked as she perked up, recognizing the name immediately due to her familiarity and knowledge of Anten, one of the three assassins of Satanick and the Gentleman Devil's Pinky Finger as well which also tied him to Warwick, the Business Devil. Yet the two girls said his name with an 'H' at the beginning, hence the name 'Hanten', leading the young angel to suspect they were talking about a different individual entirely. Maybe somebody else, but this Hanten person might've had a connection to Anten just as the other demons Hersilia and Albino mentioned might've had stories of their own. She wouldn't pry into those other stories unless she met those demons and queried them for any information they could've provided too, so Macarona decided to drop those topics in favor of asking about Hanten while electing to ask the girls later if she could be introduced to them. "Who is Hanten, and what is she like? Is she similar to Mr. Anten in a way, or are they two different demons? Oh, Mr. Anten's one of Mr. Satanick's assassins just to let you know."

"They're different, but are related," the vampire answered, "and yes, we do know he's an assassin."

"Anten's her older brother and should be stronger than her, but in reality Hanten's far superior to him," Albino went on, further elaborating on what her friend began with to help confirm the familial relation between Anten and Hanten. "She's one of the worst girls you could ever meet, what with her sadistically psychotic nature even if she does come across as a casually coolheaded demon. Hanten's one of Kurotsuno's housemates and is also her closest friend. They're usually together a lot of the time on most occasions, though Kurotsuno's a lot more refined and aristocratic in terms of her behavior whereas Hanten's wild and erratic whenever she wants to bully and harm someone. Though to be fair, Kurotsuno could be like her in a way because she hates her father as she considers him to be some kind of pest."

"Really?" Macarona asked, wondering why Kurotsuno despised her own father. "Who's her father?"

"That would be Mr. Sullivan of the Department of International and National Diplomatic Affairs, Macarona," Medouco piped up once again, unaware that Macarona knew of him already. "He's Mr. Glasses' boss." Though she didn't want to really talk about this because she was a maid in service to Satanick, there was no other reason not to because the knowledge was already known to the public. "Mr. Sullivan loves his daughter very much even if she's suspicious of him. He tries to see her often, but she always rejects him. However, I do believe she's grateful to him nonetheless because of his service in the government. Without him, Miss Kurotsuno wouldn't have the house she and her friends live in, plus they don't have to pay too many taxes as Mr. Sullivan ensured their livelihoods. They're lucky he cares about them all."

"Yes, I do know about Mr. Sullivan," the angelic girl replied to let the Gorgon know she was familiar with him. "However, I was unaware of his familial relations even though I heard from Lil he might've come from my world's past incarnation. I cannot help but wonder why his daughter would hate him even though he provides for her and her friends."

"Probably a rebel phase of hers, that's the gossip going around school," Albino said, finishing her root beer just as she was finishing up her meal like the others were. "Anyway, another change of subject, Macarona. How do you know Lil? She's the Gentleman Devil's wife as far as I know, but I don't imagine she'd have ever met someone from another world, let alone an angel because she's usually cooped up in the castle if I'm correct. What's your relation to her?"

"Oh, we met at a little get together in the Shadowed Sanctuary," Macarona explained, realizing that not once during this conversation she had mentioned how she became a close friend of Lil. "We became fast friends there, and only recently she's gone to Gray Garden to stay over at my house due for a while." She would've stated it was because of a marital dispute, though Macarona thought otherwise as it was Lil's personal business which the demonic lady freely spoke of to anybody who asked. Yet Lil wasn't here to give her permission to speak of it even though the angel knew the demonic lady was alright with it. That was why she decided against going over the marital dispute which contributed to the war being started against the Gray Garden. It was information that could've helped get others on their side, though Macarona still needed to be polite and respectful of Lil's wishes even if those wishes permitted speaking publically about it. Nonetheless, Hersilia raised a bent finger to her chin as she shut eyes to ponder on the nature of that friendship with Lil.

"Hmm…strange how you become friends with the wife of the Gentleman Devil and he proceeds to capture you while framing you for murder," she surmised, analyzing the friendship for any details she might've gleaned from the account Macarona gave them. "She goes to your world to see you and soon after he follows. I believe there might be more to this association with the royal family presiding over Zlienderstrom and the Devil's Kingdom than you let on, Macarona. Knowing the Gentleman Devil, I can say with certainty that her visit was probably brought on by a need to escape the confines of his reign and the way he governs society because although she's his wife, not even she has power."

"You believe that might be her reasoning behind her visit to the Gray Garden?" the young angel inquired even though she knew that actually was the case. Still, she wasn't going to confirm it despite not being able to deny it either.

"What else is there?" the vampire asked rhetorically and explained her deductions. "We live in a patriarchal society in which men hold all the power. That very concept is enrooted deep within all facets of this civilization. This includes the government run by the Gentleman Devil, a monarchy in which he can pass down his power to his heir so long as the heir is willing to assume office and resume administration of the legislation and policies his father constructed. It isn't difficult to imagine this being the reasoning because women are not allowed to share power and wealth, being more like prisoners who have no control over anything in their lives because men forbid them from ever taking power. Although there may be some rare examples that contradict this perspective by completely opposing it, even if whoever opposed it were a man, this norm is in fact a mor, an accepted ideal widely followed throughout this hell. Women claim it is a problem and rightly so, but do not possess the means to alter anything that could change this mor. However, they hardly do anything to change it. That's why I believe this is the very motive behind Miss Lil's desire to depart the Devil's Kingdom at times if opportunities to leave present themselves so she can snatch them without hesitation or delay. Granted, there may be more to this than meets the eye as it could possibly correlate to a marital dispute, but that is speculation." Her logic made sense and Macarona knew she was correct. Though impressed with Hersilia's deductions, the young angel couldn't confirm the marital dispute existed despite knowing it did. However, she'd concede the point about this hell.

"True, Lil did explain that."

"Then I'm sure she would've also elaborated on why she left the Devil's Kingdom in the first place," Hersilia commented, believing she was correct. Macarona knew she was, though still felt she couldn't confirm the truth. Yet apparently the vampiric girl didn't require that because she held a hand up to quiet her when the young angel attempted to speak. "You needn't clarify what I already suspect to be true, Miss Macarona. Any woman with the means to depart our hell certainly could for whatever reason she might have which is likely correlated to the restrictions on women. It is understandable, really, and while I do wish it were possible for others, I can imagine Miss Lil does possess such means. She is the Gentleman Devil's wife, after all; an escapade or two does seem practical and logical in her circumstances."

"W-well, whatever the case may be, i-it isn't our place to pry," Medouco remarked as if the topic bothered her. Perhaps it did because she must've been pretty confused about everything that was happening even as it was explained.

"Amen to that," Albino agreed with the demonic maid. "It's not my business anyway what another woman does whether it's part of some marital dispute or not." Catching sight of a waitress coming over with the check since they've finished their respective meals, she pulled her wallet out and took the check to examine it. "My turn to pay the check, right?" she asked Hersilia as the vampire nodded in response. "Sure…hmm…a pretty expensive cost considering we had two guests with us this time, but I've got the cash on hand." Watching the demonic student pay the check for their meals, Macarona couldn't help but feel bad for not having any money herself. As a prisoner, she wasn't afforded the luxury of purchasing things or paying for nourishment at places like this bar because she wasn't allowed to have any money. Although she still had her wallet with all the cards like her ID card inside it, any money she carried inside it was apparently taken by Satanick or any subordinates of his—maybe both. Luckily Medouco seemed to have understood how she was feeling because she took out her own wallet and removed some gold coins from it to also pay as well.

"U-um, w-will t-this suffice, Miss Albino?" the maid inquired shyly, hoping it was enough to contribute.

The student nodded, accepting the gold. "Yup, sure, that does look to be enough for your meals," she replied, referring to the food Macarona and Medouco had. Once the check was paid in full with a tip consisting of the coins Albino still left out for them since she didn't put them back into her wallet, the four girls all stood up to leave and head out.

"That was a pretty sizable tip you left, Albino," Macarona commented on the tip left behind.

"Ah, it was nothing, really. I usually overpay with my tips even though Hersilia skims a little off hers," Albino explained briefly. "The employees here could really use the extra cash since their wages aren't too high what with the taxes Maekami turns over to the government. I might've spent a lot more than I was expecting, but it's still all good." Exiting the bar, she turned to address the angel again once they stepped out. "By the way, Macarona, want a tour?"

"You mean a tour of Zlienderstrom?" the young angel responded with a question as Hersilia spoke up.

"You do realize we must be getting back to school now, Albino? We don't have time to give tours."

"Bah, it'll be fun. Besides, we don't often cut school or ditch that often," the other student remarked.

"But shouldn't you be attending school so you don't get in trouble?" Macarona inquired, concerned Albino and Hersilia would've gotten in trouble. "If your academic assignments are more important, the tour can wait a while."

"Nah, it's fine, Macarona," Albino assured her. "Girls don't usually get in trouble at school for ditching. All the schools in this underworld care about is the money and the male student body who're supposed to graduate school. They'd not give two shits from a rat's ass about girls skipping school because they don't have to teach us; they're just bribed to enroll us, not educate us on what the guys learn even though we're allowed to participate by simply attending. We're not even allowed to ask questions and aren't called on in classes; they just ignore us and focus on the guys."

"Not at school, no, but at home, yes," the vampiric student clarified further. "My parents wouldn't appreciate my cutting classes or ditching school just to mingle with any close friends I might have—you being the only one, Albino."

"Yeah, I hear ya, Hersilia. I don't blame you though, considering your parents demand you have an education," the other student politely waved aside the concern while showing sympathy for her friend's predicament. "All mine want is for me to just be listed as a student so they can become a bit better known if anybody heads over to meet the entire student body—not that it'll work because the only students visitors meet are the boys. Like hell that'll happen anytime soon, but they also hope I'd make myself marketable if anybody needs me for a job. Again, won't work due to male emphasis on who gets a position somewhere unless a well-paid bribe gets women in. My parents don't have the funds for that, so essentially I'm just going to be pretty useless in the long run." Albino sighed, stuffing her hands in her pockets.

"I told you I spoke to my parents and requested that they consider you for a position as a servant," Hersilia said, trying to cheer her friend up. "I know it isn't much, Albino, but at the very least you'll be a personal attendant for me."

"I would, yeah," the other demonic student chuckled, appreciating the goodwill and the aid of her friend. "To be fair, your parents would have to be the ones who make the decision, but I appreciate the help all the same, Hersilia."

Macarona smiled, fond of the friendship these two girls shared since it reminded her of her own friends. It was truly a wonderful feeling having such good friends like the other girls. Yet these demons were also friends of hers too.

"Anyway, I suppose your decision to cut the rest of today is still made," Hersilia remarked to Albino.

The other student nodded. "Yup, sure is." She turned to address Macarona next. "So, you want that tour?"

Since Albino was fine with ditching and didn't mind it due to the circumstances in which she was accepted into a school in this hell, the young angel felt a bit guilty about accepting her offer. At the same time, however, she knew this opportunity presented a valuable opening for her to see more of Zlienderstrom and its inhabitants. Although she felt bad for wanting to take it, the smile on Albino's face really did show she didn't care about cutting classes at school which appeared reassuring to Macarona because it seemed like Albino was willing to take the hit to her academic pursuits for a friend. That wasn't okay in the angel's mind since she was worried about how it'd affect Albino, though the demon really did not seem to care anyway. Even so, declining the offer felt rude which was why Macarona decided to accept it as mulling over the choice and its consequences wouldn't have gotten them very far in considering it. "Sure, I'd like that."

Albino grinned widely, taking one of Macarona's hands into one of her own to clench it firmly as a gesture of amicable friendship. "Great, then it's settled! We'll start here in the Dining District before heading to another district."

…

Watching the four girls interact from a spot in front of a nearby window while he was collecting the check they had left behind, he raised a bent finger to his chin to consider what he'd do about them. Albino and Hersilia were two of his best customers, and they were being bothered by some ruffians in the alleyway next to his bar—a few of whom were in service to the government in their respective careers. Maekami wasn't too fond of that because he specifically asked Satanick that nobody under the Gentleman Devil was to cause any sort of trouble on the property his bar was at. Yet he couldn't deny the fact this angel from the Gray Garden who was captured by Satanick was actually going to oppose the Gentleman Devil in some way in his own territory. Maekami could've informed Satanick about this—none of his employees would've because he was the only one who overheard that—though was starting to think otherwise because apparently the angel had some support already. Namely Lil and Glasses, yet it also appeared Albino and Hersilia were likely taking the angel's side as well because she had taken down the ruffians bothering them. Maekami would have handled the matter himself because he was indeed stronger than those other demons, though the angel beat him to the punch. Perhaps it was only proper to thank her by staying quiet about all of this for now so he could continue to observe her. He had to admit she was quite an interesting angel, one willing to go so far as to truly fight back against Satanick.

…

"So, here we have the Dining District," the demonic student began as they strolled along the sidewalk. Cars of a similar design to the coupe limousine Macarona and Medouco rode in drove by them as they were walking. Hersilia had already begun her trek back to the Magnus District to return to the academy she and Albino attended together, so the remaining three waved goodbye to her as the vampire had entered the alleyway Macarona first met them in. "It's not a complex area of the town considering you'll only find restaurants and supermarkets here. The reason why is because Zlienderstrom is a central hub of business in the Devil's Kingdom and some of the other underworlds that send goods and services through this particular hell. Some other towns might be trading posts that may be better equipped to regulate and maintain certain aspects of business, but everything always returns to the source—or the head of society, so to speak. Now, Macarona, you might be wondering why that's the reason. To answer the question, just think of everybody."

"You mean everyone who comes to Zlienderstrom has to eat somewhere, right?" Macarona asked and put some thought into her analyzation of the brief explanation Albino gave regarding the Dining District. "That does make sense, yes, though I suppose another factor would be all the different kinds of restaurants and eateries. In theory and practice, the sheer number in this district is meant to accommodate people by having each one emphasize certain food, correct? I mean, there are so many cultures the Devil's Kingdom must accommodate in this manner for business, yes?"

"Indeed, the restaurants each specialize in specific kinds of food that are provided by the supermarkets," the Gorgon said to further elaborate while confirming what the angel had mentioned. "It's all to please the customers who are always right. That mantra is followed everywhere, though the Devil's Kingdom is one of several civilizations that does take it up a notch by having districts in each of the major cities and towns focus on specific elements for consumers."

"And I suppose the supermarkets are placed in this district for quicker access to food," the angel guessed.

"Yup," Albino responded to confirm the question. "You won't find them in the Market District where stores also follow the same trend. Shops there each specialize in certain products just as stores anywhere else do." As she was explaining this, the student turned down a corner with Macarona and Medouco in tow, leading the pair down a street towards a group of shops. Signs everywhere were written in the language Macarona couldn't understand, but the angel was thankful Albino—and Hersilia even though the young vampire wasn't in their group anymore—spoke a language she could understand. The demonic student could've translated just as Medouco could've, but Macarona figured she'd allow the tour to go on without specifics geared towards the names of each shop and restaurant. "Again, it's for the very same reason as the Dining District, so it's not too complex a place to comprehend either. Like the Dining District, this serves as a trait denoting how the Devil's Kingdom both displays its social structure and treats its citizens. You see, a person from either our underworld or another civilization will come into Zlienderstrom to find it has a well-established construct of utter simplicity. It's simple to understand and comprehend where everything is because each district does focus on specific aspects as Medouco said, thus making stuff easy to find. However, this can also be seen as somewhat condescending towards the inhabitants because everything is simple. Nobody here is expected to use a map because they grow up here and are fluent in the national language—that's the language we're seeing on all of these signs here."

"Yeah, I have suspected this language might've been the national dialect," Macarona commented.

'Precisely, Macarona, that's the gist of it," Albino validated the statement and continued her lecture. Medouco could've done it too, though allowed the student to have the floor because she was giving the tour of Zlienderstrom. "Now, you're also probably thinking of why I said it's possibly condescending. Well, it's because of the simplicity I've just referred to and slightly elaborated on already. In depth the demons of Zlienderstrom know this castle town like the back of their hands from a young age because little children constantly go on tours around the city to learn placements of specific locations and landmarks. Over time further exploration of Zlienderstrom continues to familiarize them with the layout of the city grounds. New buildings that are constructed are always heavily covered in the news with direct allusions which point out specifically where the buildings are located, and this information is always redundantly repeated time after time again. You might say it's to make retention of other knowledge easier by instilling an internal map of the town in people's minds, but then there is the problem posed by the schools which only teach criteria those who pay them want them to teach. Knowledge acquired in schools could just be false as far as we know whereas our familiarity with the structure of our hometowns is always correct, plus there's the fact a physical map isn't needed as I said which means individuals who grew up in a certain place will be so familiar with it that they can serve as guides for other people who come into the area. Zlienderstrom is a good example of this because it's a sample of what the other settlements in the Devil's Kingdom are like with the exception of Winter's Valley where exceptions to this custom can indeed be found."

"So would the falsification of academic knowledge and the sheer simplicity of the area's setup be considered as an insult of sorts to the inhabitants by alluding to them as being unintelligent?" Macarona inquired, wondering if that was the case as Albino was saying. To put it more bluntly, it was essentially saying the citizens were stupid. Yet if they were, the question of how society was still running had to be addressed because unintelligence would've risked causing the fall of this civilization. Nobody would've known how to effectively govern and run it, thus leading to a crippling fall that would've happened while people desperately tried to think of solutions to solve the problem before it happened. Yet solving it was going to be difficult and maybe even unlikely—perhaps bordering on, and leaning towards impossibility—because nobody would've known how to solve it without the right knowledge and education on how to mend it. A horrible reality for sure, though the Devil's Kingdom was still somehow operating as it was. Macarona suspected it was because only a select few were able to learn just what was needed and maybe more to stay in power provided they had enough wealth to secure a proper education. That must've been another reason why Hersilia believed only the wealthy should've had power and governed because they had the proper finances to pay for the proper resources required.

"Most likely, yeah," the demonic student stated to agree with her assessment. "It sucks because from that view we're treated like stupid idiots who have no actual intellect. A lot of people in this town don't even know it's real, and only few like Hersilia and I actually do because we've learned how to read in between the lines for more meanings. They're blind to this distinction, Macarona, though if anything some women like us are surprisingly the ones who prove it more than men. It's a positive of sorts denoting that we truly are as capable as men are even though we're ignored within the Devil's Kingdom. Unfortunately, that being said, ignoring us inhibits that positive from being seen and considered by many who are more concerned with their own welfare. It's one big rat race in which the inhabitants of this hell are in constant turmoil between one another for wealth and power, though it's limited since women aren't allowed to compete. While the turmoil isn't out in the open, you can definitely find it within the shadows out of sight; alliances are formed and broken, assassins are hired to kill off unwanted competition, etc. Competition is clearly one of the major facets here."

"Lil did explain that wealth was fought over while women who did manage to secure it were punished by it being taken away from them," Macarona spoke up to mention that as the trio was heading towards a large ornate doorway near a few shops they passed by. "Not being allowed the same privileges men have is a terrible element of this underworld because it eliminates worthy contestants whom would help make it healthy just as eliminating strife would too. Of course, there would still be competition amongst them, but alliances won't have to be broken and assassins do not need to be hired. Still, the fact greed is encouraged here makes all this competition horrible because there are no rules."

"No rules mean no limits, and no limits means anyone can do what they want without concern for others and the consequences of their own actions," Albino concurred with the young angel on the statement. "Yet although there aren't rules or limits in that sense, wealth itself is a limit determining how much money one has for certain endeavors. If too much is wasted there would be nothing left for an individual to spend on further consolidating their wealth and power. However, another limit would be whose in the Gentleman Devil's good graces; those who are can keep their wealth provided they pay tribute to him and are skilled enough to serve him in some way. As there are no racial limits, even individuals in minorities are allowed to accumulate wealth and power and become useful aristocrats who support him."

"Lil also told me about all that too," the young angel stated to inform the demonic student that it was not necessary to really go over much of that. Though the reinforcement was appreciated, at this point it was becoming a tad tedious in its reiteration. Even so, the reiteration did help tie things together and produce further avenues for additional knowledge about the Devil's Kingdom. "Still, there has to be more beyond that which connects to all of this so far."

"Sorry, I'm afraid there's not much more—at least, not that I know of," the student replied, turning to face the angelic companion in their little group of three. "Seems like you already know plenty about the way things work from Miss Lil, though you've never actually seen the Devil's Kingdom up until you were captured, correct?" Receiving a nod from Macarona in response, Albino smiled and shut her eyes, giving a thumb up while nodding her head too. "Good, you're up to speed. Looks like I don't need to elaborate any further. Besides, we've got a tour to continue." Exiting the Market District now, they entered another street lit up by streetlamps that gave off light where the moon didn't touch the area. The streetlamps were like the others they passed by in the other two districts, constructed of solid steel and lit up by flames instead of lightbulbs. Although this was technically the day, the Devil's Kingdom was in a constant state of complete night that determining whether it was day or night was difficult without the use of a clock. On one side of the street were various large buildings they walked by, the other side and the way forward showing a beautiful street vista consisting of various naval vessels floating on the open water under a night sky lit up by the moon and many stars.

"Wow, the harbor looks so pretty from here," Medouco commented as they got closer towards a much better spot where they could view the upcoming attractions of this district while strolling by this pretty vista. "It's been quite a while since I've come here. Usually my duties at the castle keep me from getting out that often, but the harbor is my favorite place in all of Zlienderstrom because of this lovely view as well as the smell of the salt water on the breeze."

Macarona smiled, glad the Gorgon was starting to really enjoy herself as seen from the small smile she was displaying on her face. "Yeah, it does look nice. Perhaps we should come down here more often. You'll have plenty of opportunities to visit now that I'm free to explore this town with you as my personal warden, Medouco." Her remark was accompanied by a glance at the maid which Medouco caught, and though the Gorgon blushed shyly, she appeared to have appreciated the comment because the young angel was willing to come here so that they both could spend some time here together. Even so, Medouco didn't want to come across as being too welcoming of such a gesture because she was still a maid meant to be acting in the capacity of a warden. The whole idea of being considered a friend still didn't seem to make her feel that comfortable, though the maid was likely leaning towards it since Macarona was so nice.

"O-o-oh, u-um, t-that's quite alright, Macarona, y-you d-don't have t-to for my sake," Medouco stuttered.

"It'll be fine, Medouco, I don't mind," the angel smiled warmly at her to calm the Gorgon's nerves.

"Hersilia and I would come here often too to watch the ships as they enter the port and lay anchor," Albino added to put forth an anecdote of sorts to concur with them. "There's a small circular spot not too far up where that flag over there is raised. If you look beyond that, you can see the lighthouse which is always running." Sure enough she was correct since the light was spinning due to the mechanism inside turning it around in a circle. "The other buildings here in the Harbor District are mostly warehouses where cargo is stored to be unpacked or shipped overseas into other hells. There is a main office just up ahead that oversees affairs in this part of town; it's called the East Hells Company, and it's primarily the most significant naval trading post throughout all of the underworlds because it has branches in many of the major port towns in each and every hell. The East Hells Company isn't administered by the Gentleman Devil since it answers to the royal dynasty in charge of all the underworlds—that would be the Queen; under her authority, the East Hells Company has the power and autonomy to govern itself and arm small, private armies of mercenaries and guilds in its employ. You could say it's a government in of itself, one that might be considered an international hell due to its expanded reach into all of the underworlds. All of these warehouses belong to it, but there are other small buildings too such as smithies and armories that specifically design equipment to arm and decorate ships by working with shipyards where they are built. You can actually see it from where we're standing as a matter of fact." Going over to a rail, Albino raised an arm and closed four of her fingers on the connecting hand until only the index finger was out. Moving her arm over in the direction towards the shipyard, the demon gestured at a spot where a large group of ships were. Macarona followed her to gaze upon the sight, amazed by the sight of so many ships over there as opposed to the few over here. Sailors and other passengers were currently boarding these latter few ships while moving cargo on and off of the ships.

"Wow, it looks so fascinating. I've been to only one port town back in the Gray Garden, but I must admit this Harbor District certainly appears to be about the same size as the harbor there," Macarona said as she held her arms out to try and express the difference in scale between Zlienderstrom's harbor and the harbor in Aicirederf. "The port town I've been to in the Gray Garden is a top historical site in my world and was part of a major battle during the war between our Goddess and Devil. Why, if I recall what I know of it, the place was originally in the underworld of our world's previous incarnation when it was attacked by a few legions of the Goddess' armies. Now it's a historical site renowned for its enriching blend of oceanic splendor and old wartime experiences with a rustic social culture defining the people who live there. Even the angels and Nephilim who've moved there after the war have adopted the local culture and adapted to the environment which is quite coarse, but beautiful in its rough texture. I haven't been there often, but it's become one of my favorite historic sites and towns in my home world, and I look forward to another visit to the town when possible."

"Sweet," Albino complimented her on the knowledge, liking the sound of how that port town was described. "If I and Hersilia ever go to your world for a visit, Macarona, I'd sure love to go see the place. It sounds like a great tourist attraction. Does it happen to do maritime trade with any other ports from other places in your world and other worlds?"

"With the Flower World and the Sea Kingdom, yes," the young angel answered her. "The town's name is Aicirederf, and it is indeed one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Gray Garden for the very reasons I just mentioned. Yet there is more to it because it's one of the largest towns in my world, actually—and one of the most haunted if you're into ghost hunting. You see, there is an older part of Aicirederf that attracts ghost hunters and many adventurers and explorers after haunting experiences. It's referred to as Old Aicirederf because it's the original town from the war; the new town of the same name was built directly next to it, and it is even attached to Old Aicirederf as well."

"Oooh, scary," the demonic student giggled while Medouco's breath got caught in her throat as she shivered. Evidently the Gorgon must've been terrified of scary things like ghosts. Macarona didn't blame her since she herself wasn't brave enough to venture into Old Aicirederf back when she was a coward of sorts. Now that she was more courageous, the angelic girl was actually looking forward to visiting it—and it appeared Albino was too. "I'll bet it's dangerous too, am I right? Lots of spirits looking to take revenge against the living and their enemies from your world's war. Sounds to me like that town of yours is probably in a war of its own between the living and the dead, correct?"

"Not really, there's an invisible magical barrier keeping them out," Macarona explained. "People are allowed to pass through it, but ghosts can't. There is a guard station located at the main entrance and guards at the secret ways in."

"I-I-I'll p-pass on that if I-I-I ever wind up in y-your w-world, Macarona," Medouco stuttered timidly.

"Hey, she never said you had to go alone, Medouco," the other demon joked lightheartedly as if to try and scare the poor Gorgon on purpose. Apparently it did since Medouco's trembling worsened and she became very pale. "Okay, my bad," Albino apologized, raising her arms to wave them apologetically. "Sorry if that actually did scare you."

The demonic maid swallowed heavily. "U-um, i-it's o-okay…u-uh, c-can we c-change the s-subject, p-please?"

Albino nodded. "Sure, we'll just swing by the Residential District for a quick walkthrough next. There's not much else to see here in the Harbor District because the East Hells Company is closed off to civilians. So is the lighthouse because that's owned by the East Hells Company. The Residential District doesn't have much in it aside from the homes of middle class folk in this city; each house is essentially a somewhat fancy row house. That's where I live, but if you're looking for some entertainment, you can find it in the slums of this town and the Metropolitan District where all the theaters and the museums are. To reach these intriguing places, we'd have to pass through the Residential District."

"U-um, wouldn't the slums be risky because of potential thieves and rogues living there with cutthroats?" Medouco inquired nervously as the student shook her head while waving the concern aside before answering her.

"Not if you know the right people, and I happen to know them because I perform charity work for them on the side in the soup kitchen there whenever I'm not hanging out with Hersilia. There may be demons attempting to rob others just so they could try and survive in their poor living conditions, but they'll not cause any trouble for anybody who's willing to help them. It's true there is a large gang there who are in it for themselves, but they do protect their own and will be accepting of anyone who butters them up by providing them with the necessities of life. That's all they and everyone else there wants, really; the struggle to survive in the slums is harsh and it provides them with experience to survive by contributing to shaping them into strong characters. Besides, they've actually got a good thing going over there since they've found access to all sorts of unique kinds of entertainment one might find in a circus or a carnival. It pays them well and they can put smiles on faces with the tricks they've learned and have come to benefit from for their social culture."

"Oh, sounds exciting," Macarona smiled as she imagined seeing a circus of performers consisting of people who lived in the slums despite knowing tricks that made them famous. It was a shame those demons might've been ignored because other elements of entertainment favored by the upper and middle classes usually seized attention instead of it being paid to the performers who were trying to lighten up the mood so everything wouldn't have been so gloomy. Macarona knew there might not have been many like her and Albino who appreciated such effort, but she hoped there were at least enough individuals like them who'd willingly pay attention because it was the right thing to do for the poor people living in slums and ghettos. If she was given the choice of mingling with a noble who probably wasn't willing to aid the poor whom were the other choice, Macarona would definitely decide to associate with the poor and help them out as best she could because it was a humane act of compassion. "How would we be able to find the route into there?"

"Simple, just follow me," Albino responded. "We'll have to travel through some alleyways to reach the slums. Afterwards if nothing else is happening over there I'll take you to the Metropolitan District and show you the museums and theaters there. Finally, I'll show you around the Magnus District with Hersilia if she gets out from school in time."

Macarona smiled, looking forward to the rest of the tour. "Sure, I'd love to see more of Zlienderstrom."

…

 **That'll do it for this chapter. It was originally meant to be a little longer, but an idea I had while writing this led to the chapter being split up into a couple different chapters that go over the town of Zlienderstrom.**

 **With regards to further development of the Devil's Kingdom, a lot of what's in this chapter may seem like a review of sorts. However, there are some new interesting tidbits of non-canon lore such as the Crawling Insect Kingdom which is the name I've come up with for the land Poison Bugs takes place in. According to the wikia, Tsumuri is a resident of the Pitch Black World which must indicate Poison Bugs takes place in that world and that the other insect characters might be residents too if I'm correct. Now, although Poison Bugs is canon, there's not really much to go on for it aside from anything the wikia mentions. This project of Mogeko's was a series once if I recall, though Mogeko's YouTube channel went down for some reason; to my knowledge, only the first episode can be found because somebody else uploaded it to YouTube. The disclaimer is found below.**

 **The East Hells Company mentioned in this chapter is based off of the East India Company and the Dutch East India Company. The East India Company was an English/British stock company constructed to conduct trade with the East Indies, though in actuality trade was performed with Qing China and the Indian Subcontinent in Southern Asia. Over half of trade in the world was regulated by this company with such basic commodities like silk, cotton, and tea being well-known products on its markets. However, it became a political power because it controlled large regions within India by using administrative offices and private militaries. The East India Company also had a Royal Charter bestowed to it by Queen Elizabeth herself on December 31, 1600, which officially denoted this company as being the oldest East India Company among other similar companies. Concerning when it came to power, the East India Company rose to prominence following the Battle of Plassey in 1757, though the Indian Rebellion of 1857—a century later—led to the Government of India Act in 1858 the following year which turned power over to the British Crown. This piece of legislation crippled the East India Company as did financial issues to the point when, sixteen years later in 1874, it dissolved a year after the East India Stock Dividend Redemption Act was passed a year before in 1873, thus ending the East India Company.**

 **As for the Dutch East India Company, it began as a chartered company in 1602 when the Dutch wished to establish a monopoly on spice trade that would last for a total of twenty-one years. In a similar fashion as the East India Company of the English/British, the Dutch East India Company was thought to have been the first multinational corporation on an international scale, plus it was the first company that issued stock. Yet another similarity it shared with the East India Company were political powers such as: possessing armies it used in wars it could declare; executing prisoners it captured; establishing colonies; diplomatic negotiations to form treaties; and constructing its own coins for economic value. In the form of statistics, this company outshined all other rivals including the East India Company which was second to the Dutch East India Company. It originated in a port city named Jayakarta which was renamed to Batavia—this name was again changed to Jakarta, perhaps to allude to the original name—though other port towns had established offices of this company. Unfortunately, due to corruption in the late eighteenth century, it was dissolved in 1800. The Dutch Batavian Republic assumed control over all debts and possessions of the company. You can learn more about these companies on Wikipedia.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Poison Bugs; it is owned by Mogeko.**


	21. Chapter Twenty-One: The Thieves' Guild

"Come on, it's just through here," the demonic student remarked as she led the pair through the back alleyways of the Residential District in Zlienderstrom. Sauntering through them at the head of the trio, Albino cast glances around an open area upon emerging into an empty cul-de-sac. Nobody was around and nothing was present aside from several garbage cans and fences separating the dirty space from the buildings. She smiled, thankful they weren't getting caught. "Alright, we're in the clear. Roc's not around, so we should be good. This spot's part of his beat, though I don't think he'll be coming around anytime soon after the beating you gave him, Macarona. Even if he does, he'll be on his own here."

"Although it was wrong to harm him because of his station, he still shouldn't have been trying to harm you," the young angel commented on his involvement in the prior conflict before in which he lost to her. "Though why would Mr. Roc come alone without reinforcements like his associates from before? Wouldn't town guards be all over this area after what happened earlier, especially since he might've informed them of his loss and the fact he got hurt in the conflict?"

"Roc's not well liked among the town guards in Zlienderstrom. Most of them answer directly to Mr. Yagi, the Chancellor and Marshal of the Devil's Kingdom, plus they come from upper class families," Albino explained to answer the inquiry her new angelic friend posed. "They'd do anything to preserve their power and have some of their relatives join the guard in this town. It's why they primarily serve interests of the upper classes rather than protecting and serving folks of the middle and lower classes. Roc's one of them and is quite arrogant and cruel like the rest of them, though he refuses to answer to his superiors and believes he's the best among them. In his mind, he should be in charge of things and demands the others answer to him. I'm sure they'll not keep him on for too much longer, though you never know since his family supports the Gentleman Devil, henceforth ensuring he still has a place among them. That doesn't mean they have to like him, and they do try to get rid of him in the most convenient way possible whenever they can attempt to accomplish it without incurring the wrath of his family or the Gentleman Devil. It's a standard procedure in this hell."

"As a civil extension of the military designed to protect upper classes at home," Medouco added to further tell of how town guards operated, "the town guards act as a defensive unit on standby to ensure the safety of aristocrats. A normal town guard would have some formal training in the military prior to being stationed around the settlement in various districts. Putting them in just the district where the local aristocracy reside—in this case, the Magnus District—would be disadvantageous because it wouldn't prevent revolts or a full scale rebellion from rising and igniting into an enlarged conflict. Thus placing them around the city ensures a tight grip on the people with eyes and ears everywhere at once to hear of such a problem occurring solidifies a firm state of suppression induced via fear and other reasons that inhibit them from revolting. However, they are not as well trained as actual soldiers in the army itself which makes the military a much stronger force more capable of protecting them. Unfortunately, the military is only raised during times of war and intense subjugation through invasive conquest. The war against your world, Macarona, is one such example."

"I see, that does make sense," Macarona replied once the two demons finished their shared lecture. She had to admit the military culture of this underworld was certainly professional much like in the Shadowed Sanctuary and the Flower World. In those other civilizations she had seen similar individuals serving in the same kind of capacity even though that capacity went by different names. Town guards were virtually the same in that regard with the difference being what the society in which they were in referred to them as. How they operated was also a similarity because of the responsibilities allotted to town guards, but in every civilization the purpose was different too such as this underworld.

"Sure does, if at the expense of town guards who're not as effective as defensive military units," Albino said.

"I-I can only imagine Officer Roc and his associates would try to seek revenge on us," Medouco stated to express how worried she was about running into him and the other three demonic men from earlier again. "I-I mean, Officer Roc may not have backup from his department, though Lieutenant Eimin and Mr. Giltz might have some."

"Probably, but I personally doubt it," the demonic student attempted to assure her it might not have been a scenario they would've encountered as they continued along their way through the alleys. "Considering the war we've discussed before at Maekami's bar, I'd say it's probable Eimin and Giltz would be a little busy preparing for that. Giltz may be a senior at the academy, but he'll likely be on a leave of absence from school so he can work for Eimin in the military as an assassin. Now that you mention them, I think that centipede guy—Tsumuri, was it?—might also be a bit busy with his own work as a freelance assassin. That's if an aristocrat hired his services, so it's possible he'll join Roc."

"But would happen to him if he were to come alone?" Macarona inquired since she was concerned about his safety. Roc might've been a jerk, but he was still an individual even if he was a mean demon. Although the angelic girl wasn't fond of him because of the cruelty he displayed earlier, she couldn't help but worry about him and what this would've meant if something happened to him. He might not have been appreciated by his fellow officers, though a relative of his such as the physician mentioned by Albino before over lunch could've sought revenge for his death. It was only natural since vengeance, despite being a cold grudge to bear, was a component of one's nature whether they were an angel, a demon, Nephilim, or even a human—even similar beings could've wanted revenge. Now that it was on her mind, Macarona's thoughts drifted back to when Daimonji was slain by Satanick to frame her for the demon's murder. Daimonji had uttered a name with his dying breath—Cosmea—and the Gentleman Devil clarified the individual was an angel from the Corporate Heaven who might've been in a relationship with Daimonji. If Cosmea discovered Daimonji was killed, Macarona could only expect the poor angel would've attempted to come after her to claim vengeance.

"Easy, he'd get his ass handed to him on a silver platter for him to eat on the way out," Albino chuckled, the thought sounding funny to her because Roc would've been humiliated for the second time today—that she knew of if Roc hadn't been disgraced any number of times before Macarona defeated him before. "Either that or he'd get killed." The way those words rolled off her tongue so easily made Medouco shudder while Macarona instinctively tensed up. Albino may have been a good person for a demon, though even she seemed to easily give in to darker thoughts just as other demons would've. There had been a pleasant smile on her face when she spoke that second statement—probably because of that—yet it might've also been due to a sense of relief the demonic student felt at the thought of Roc never bothering her and Hersilia ever again. "A bit morbid, I know, but you've got to admit it'd be good to be free of him."

"I guess you do have a point, Albino," the young angel conceded the point to her on that front in light of the counterpoint she was going to raise, "but what about any repercussions that may erupt if Mr. Roc were to be killed?"

"Oh, those?" the student asked casually in a rhetorical manner that also came across as uncaring from a way sounding carefree as well. "Nah, don't worry too much about that, Macarona. The guys I know might be dangerous, though they're smart to know when something's about to happen and why. A lot of them are just citizens who've been down on their luck or had gotten evicted from their homes due to a number of reasons. Some of them even served in the military until they wound up here for the same reasons, but a few were dishonorably discharged for something they've done or because the Gentleman Devil found better candidates for their positions who pleased him more than they have. If something happened to Roc and they caused it, someone from his family would likely demand an investigation and for any perpetrators to be apprehended. Unfortunately, the town guards in Zlienderstrom and others in some other towns won't pursue either because they know some of the demons down here were in the military and are better trained than them. Plus the guys who live in the slums know the best hiding spots throughout the entire settlements they reside in; locating them would be next to impossible for even a military legion if one or more was brought in to scour the area."

"Are we almost there?" the Gorgon asked as they entered a condemned building. "We won't have to spend too much time there, would we?" Her second question might've been rude, but she was just afraid of any potential threats.

"Yup, we're getting there, alright," Albino responded as they came upon a nickel sheet metal blocking what might've been a doorway through the wall currently eroding away as it was rotting. Above was a stone arch where droplets of water fell from the damp bricks. Looking around while going over to the sheet metal, she reached both hands out to move it aside and reveal a bare wall behind it. Pressing one of the bricks that made up the wall, the secret entrance opened as the door was pushed into what appeared to have been a hallway leading into what might've been the sewers or a tunnel. "Ladies first," she joked, shutting her eyes and holding a hand up to let Macarona and Medouco go first. The two of them seemed to be reluctant at first, though a couple seconds later the young angel took her first steps inside as Albino had to usher the demonic maid in behind her. "Sorry, don't have enough time for your dawdling, Medouco. Someone could have seen the entrance if we were not alone. Don't worry, we won't be here too long. We're just visiting today."

"Why would someone be concerned with finding this place?" Macarona inquired as Albino pressed another brick to close the entrance after replacing the sheet metal back where it was. "Is this location a bed of criminal activity?"

"In a way, though I wouldn't call it criminal," the other girl replied and regained the lead, sauntering down the tunnel with both hands in her pockets while the other two tailed behind her. "As I've explained before, we're heading down into the slums of Zlienderstrom. I've also told you what the residents here are like, yet I haven't said yet that they don't want to be found. If they were, they'd all be arrested or promptly executed on the spot. The Gentleman Devil is aware of the slums in this castle town and has made numerous speeches and promises saying he'd clean up the city by purging it of the slums for good. He's pledged to slaughter anybody from here for that very purpose and destroy all they've got left in life, plus he's legalized murder against them by allowing citizens to kill them on the spot if they were found. You've probably noticed how clean this city is, how a lot of the people you've encountered were prestigiously clean with the exception of sailors because they had to work at the Harbor District. That's because the people down in the slums hardly go out in public because to do so would lead to their deaths, though I do believe the Gentleman Devil would allow some to live for a bit longer just so he can make a show of arresting them before publically executing them."

"My god…" Macarona murmured in shock, shocked Satanick would've even done such a thing against his own subjects. Then again, maybe he didn't consider the poor to be his subjects because he saw them as a blight on the society he formed, the civilization he constructed to try and keep it intact in its corrupt state. "That's just so terrible…"

"It is, right?" Albino agreed by way of the rhetorical question. "It's truly awful how he'd abandon a social group of this city just to form it as he pleases for the folks up in the upper classes. In turn, they'll be grateful to him for having murdered this social group to make way for more room. With this space he can put more things here to improve this town. Unfortunately for the people living here, they'll just be forgotten as they're paved over to make way for anything upper classes and the Gentleman Devil want. That's why they hide, planning ways on how to survive and oppose the Gentleman Devil to prevent him from acting too soon. He doesn't know where they're at yet, but he may find out."

Medouco's eyes widened in fear. "W-wait, t-they oppose M-Mr. S-Satanick?!" she exclaimed in complete bewilderment, a sudden realization Macarona didn't know of occurring to her which really confused the young angel as Albino nodded and proceeded to confirm the very matter the Gorgon was worrying over with a simple nod of her head.

"Yep, they sure do. It's only natural, though, considering how our Devil wants to kill them. He instigated this conflict with them first, you know. He wants them dead to build stuff on the grounds they now call home and to cover up any grievances he had with them whether they caused such issues or if it was him who started it all to begin with." A glance at the maid when she turned her head showed Albino's expression changed from being nice and cheerful to suspicious and cold. ""But then you'd probably know something about that to an extent, wouldn't you, Medouco?"

The Gorgon gasped as she stopped walking which caused Macarona to turn around and face her. She also whipped her head towards Albino when she also stopped too which in turn made the demonic student halt as well. "Huh, what's going on?" she demanded, wondering what Albino was getting at. "Albino, why're you starting to get so upset with Medouco? She didn't do anything wrong." Turning to the maid, she addressed her next. "Medouco, what—" Though she couldn't finish because the Gorgon quickly pulled the angelic girl towards her so they wouldn't be apart.

"M-M-Macarona, I-I-I d-don't believe M-Miss Albino is being really s-sincere with us right now!" Medouco stuttered timidly, trembling uncontrollably as she was becoming terrified of the demonic student. "S-she must know s-something s-she's not telling us! I-I-I don't know what she's t-talking about! I-I have nothing to do with it, b-but I-I c-can guess it must do with what s-she's not s-saying!" Suddenly she squeaked, having made a bit of an easy contradiction.

"You don't know, but you can guess, eh?" Albino murmured suspiciously, not buying Medouco's account. "I admit I'm not telling you the whole story—well, not entirely as of the moment, anyway, but you're being suspicious now too, Medouco. The way you reacted is indicative of more than just simple fear of mingling with your boss' enemies."

"I-I-I s-s-swear I-I-I know nothing!" the poor maid tried to sound convincing, but couldn't with stuttered words.

"Bullshit you know nothing," the student accused her, pointing an accusing finger at the maid. "You may be some lowly maid in Nightrise Castle, Medouco, but you do know something about what I'm talking about, right?"

Medouco was about to speak up again when Macarona gently removed the Gorgon's arms from around her torso even as Medouco's snakes were hissing at Albino. Not sure what was going on between them, but wanting to find out, the young angel stepped between them with her arms outstretched. "Okay, both of you need to calm down now," Macarona stated to try and alleviate the tension that was currently rising between the other two. "I don't know what's going on here, but you two are going over something I know nothing about because neither of you is really saying much."

"I-I'm s-sorry, Macarona, b-but—" the Gorgon tried to apologize, but was cut off when the angel raised a hand.

"Just calmly explain anything you might know, Medouco. I want to hear the full story, both sides of it in fact."

Still trembling despite taking deep breaths to soothe her nerves, the demonic maid took a few moments to think of how she could explain herself clearly to try assuring Macarona that she didn't know much. "I-I t-truly d-don't know all that much, Macarona. M-Miss Albino mentioned s-she k-knew of a gang before; I-I-I think s-she might be a member of that gang!" Her accusation wasn't entirely unfounded even though she might've been wrong, for Albino did say that.

Next turning to the demonic student to her right, Macarona made sure to stand in between her and Medouco. Assuming a defensive stance if the Gorgon's accusation was entirely accurate, the young angel prepared to defend both Medouco and herself by combating Albino if the young demon planned on fighting them. "Is this true?" she inquired, demanding the truth as her body language told Albino that she was ready for a fight. At the same time, however, her question made it clear she'd give Albino a chance to explain herself and would give her the benefit of the doubt if need be. "I do not want to fight you, Albino, but I cannot allow you to harm us if you're planning on leading us into a trap."

Watching the angel's reaction, the demonic girl just sighed in exasperation and shrugged her shoulders. "Can't be helped, I'm afraid. If I wanted to lead you two into a trap, there would've been more planning. It would've been premeditated to have learned more about you, Macarona, before choosing a suitable location and time for a trap. The fact this isn't means you're not walking into some trap. I've got nothing against you, Macarona, but not Medouco. She's a maid in Nightrise Castle, one of the two castles in this town, and serves the Gentleman Devil himself, the man who's constantly seeking to murder these poor people all for the sake of taking everything away from them for upper classes."

"I can understand why you don't trust her, Albino, but I still can't let you hurt Medouco. True, she is a maid in service to Mr. Satanick; although that does raise the suspicion of her informing her superiors of this, she herself is still innocent. I'm sure there are some demons in this underworld, even in the castle, who're only loyal to him out of fear."

"And you believe their fear of him is justification for updating him on where the slums are?" Albino demanded.

"It is not, though at the same time it is understandable," Macarona countered her argument while conceding the point the demonic student put forth. "Mr. Satanick is a Devil, there are not many others stronger than him. That does include both demons and angels who're not as powerful as a Devil or a deity. Medouco's an amazing healer despite the fact she's not experienced in combat. Although she's proficient at that, she cannot fight back against her superiors."

Her counterargument appeared to have some effect. Medouco seemed to have calmed herself slightly even though she might've felt incompetent for not knowing how to fight. As for Albino, the demonic student shut her eyes and put a finger to her chin, pondering on the angel's statement by thinking of how it held up. "I suppose that makes some sense," the young demon conceded after several moments of silence amongst the trio. "I mean, she's in no position to even fight back at all, much less do anything to try and improve her own situation. She'd lose her job and whatever status she might possess. Worse would be her life." That last comment about the maid's life made Medouco shiver timidly. "Still, I suppose I can't blame her then for talking—well, I can't, but the others down in the slums certainly won't. If Medouco doesn't say a word of this visit to her superiors, I can promise they won't be a threat to her." Albino opened her eyes, glaring at the Gorgon with a bit of anger and mistrust that was gradually cooling down. "However, if word even reaches the Gentleman Devil's ears and she's discovered to have been the cause of this, I cannot keep them from acting against her. You both understand, don't you? It's a trolley problem, if you're familiar with that thought experiment."

"The choice to sacrifice one life or many when weighing how much either option is worth," Macarona stated because she did indeed comprehend the problem that was covered under act utilitarianism. At this point she realized the very significant consequence of what would've happened to Medouco. If the Gorgon told her superiors about this, she'd be hunted down by the very people who were already being disenfranchised by Satanick. If she stayed quiet, there was a chance her superiors, including Satanick, could've found out she was keeping the location of these people a secret. It was a risky lose-lose scenario for Medouco that obviously frightened the poor Gorgon because even she was thinking about it too because she was also well-aware of the trolley problem, and the way she now reacted as evident by her shivering getting worse demonstrated how terrified she was. The maid was essentially in between a rock and a hard place, yet Macarona knew of what could've been a silver lining. If Medouco kept quiet, surely the demons living in the slums would've stayed mum on her knowledge of them so long as she didn't give them away. Then again, perhaps some of them would've thought about telling the Gentleman Devil she knew if only to try and receive some benefit of sorts for themselves. However, they could not guarantee whether Satanick would've kept up his end of the bargain or not. It was risky, though choosing the second option of keeping silent was a lot better than the first in theory—all they had to do was practice it. "Though would it be possible to avoid this problem entirely?" she asked for alternative solutions if any were applicable. Macarona hoped there would've been, though realized it might not have been possible to avoid it any other way for Medouco's sake. "If she doesn't say a word, can we guarantee the demons won't betray her to Mr. Satanick?"

Albino smiled immediately, already having concocted an idea in her head. "Sure, there is something that may be arranged if possible considering the benefit the guys down in the slums wouldn't dare ignore. They'd debate about it, though I'd say there is definitely a shot at it. It's just that Medouco might have to do a bit more to secure their trust."

Medouco's eyes widened nervously. "Y-you m-mean…" she swallowed heavily. "J-join your gang…?"

"That's right, we've yet to confirm if you're a member or not in light of the fact you know them," the angel said.

The demonic student merely laughed cheerfully and raised an arm while turning around to continue leading them towards the slums. "Don't worry, all will be over with shortly. You'll find out soon enough. I can't confirm it as of yet, though you'll have to meet the guys and speak with them first before anything else can be revealed to you both."

"Very well," Macarona consented to following her again as Medouco put a hand on her shoulder.

"A-are you s-sure we can trust M-Miss Albino, Macarona?" the Gorgon inquired timidly despite walking too. She drew closer to the young angel as the trio continued to saunter through the tunnel. "W-what if i-it's all an act?"

"Medouco, we just went over this," the angelic girl attempted to reassure her, calmly speaking in a gentle tone of voice to soothe the maid's nerves. "We must trust Albino as it's the only way we can get out of this situation safe and sound. You do not want to get in trouble with either the demons here or your superiors, do you?" She sighed, not liking how she phrased that even though there was no other way of saying it. "I know you don't like it and are scared of it, though we're left with no choice but to try and make this work so you won't have to worry about either scenario. It's tough, I know, but we have no other choice to make. If you can keep quiet about them, they can overlook your job as a maid in Nightrise Castle under the Gentleman Devil. Albino might've said you may have to do something else, but I can help you with that." She turned her head to give the demonic maid a reassuring smile. "It'll be okay since I'm here."

"Macarona's right, Medouco," Albino chuckled as they continued along the path, going down several twists and turns. A few times she reached into her pocket to flash something at a particular direction, though neither Macarona nor Medouco questioned it because it must've been a means of gaining passage by letting somebody hiding somewhere know this was a legitimate trip. Then again, perhaps secret devices were being activated to open secret doors leading into secret passages they were traveling into, much like at the entrance to this tunnel. The further they went, the more it was looking like a sewer system—albeit one that was surprisingly clean which must've meant it was also healthy to boot. There were several staircases the trio went down as well, descending deeper into the sewers towards the slums which might've not really been slums at all—then again, perhaps they still were—but more of a surreptitious hideout for the demons who lived down here. "You can't go living life in fear all the time by yourself if you've got nobody to help. Quit quivering on the sidelines, find your courage, and get out there and fight for what matters most. Best lesson ever."

"E-easy to s-say, b-but not t-to d-do…" Medouco murmured fearfully while clinging to Macarona's arm.

"Who ever said it was supposed to be easy?" Albino asked with a chuckle as she pressed a brick at the end of a route they'd taken at one of a few intersections they wound up in on their journey down. The secret door she activated opened the same way the one at the entrance did. As it did so Albino stepped to the side and gestured for her guests to enter before her with a welcoming smile on her face. "Go ahead, ladies first again." Walking inside after them, letting Macarona and Medouco marvel at the sight of so many kiosks set up in alcoves of what appeared to be a large cistern leading into other spaces like it, Albino waited a few moments before stepping forward and turning around. With her arms outstretched at her sides, she shut her eyes momentarily and reopened them a second later to introduce her companions to the area they had reached. "Welcome to the Underground Railroad District, home to many who are disenfranchised by the monarchial government presiding over the Devil's Kingdom, specifically the one ruled by the Gentleman Devil. It is here, below the castle town of Zlienderstrom, where you can find the richest popular culture and clandestine acts."

"Wow…" Macarona murmured in awe of the district's splendor, amazed at how clean and pristine it looked for such a rustic locale one expected to have been rather filthy and decrepit. Everywhere she and Medouco looked, there were people in plain clothes like those the townsfolk up above wore while going about their business. Some armed guards in light armor and equipped with shortswords and daggers were present as well, standing in the shadows to observe the area for signs of any activity that might've been hostile and dangerous. From where they both stood, the pair could also see various items up for display at the kiosks which sold all manner of goods and services. Based on the location and who these demons were, it was possible the items were either cheap or downright free to take within reason of course. The whole cistern and its neighboring cisterns were big enough to house all of them since she and the Gorgon could actually see real small houses constructed in several locations. Based on the size of each house, they might've possessed the very same amenities that were in the new apartment Macarona received in Nightrise Castle. "It's like a town under a town."

"Yup, that's the gist of it," Albino confirmed that comment and crossed her arms. "A town under a town," she then parroted those very words so they could sink in deeper. "The Underground Railroad District has been here for centuries and it was the only district in this city to have survived a great fire that ravaged the rest of town before the Gentleman Devil first took office. That was before my time, though it's largely suspected here that he and his cronies started the fire and spread it while ensuring they were in control to help it along. That's one thing forgotten by the people who live above and other demons in other settlements, but not here where a couple of the survivors who personally witnessed Satanick himself assist in setting fire to the buildings in secret live. Those survivors came down here where others have resided longer than they have, thankful their home was never discovered. This story's been passed down for generations, that's how it reached my ears when I first learned of it after my first trip to this town. Since then, this very district has accepted all manner of individuals who've been victimized by the Gentleman Devil just as it's always done for people who were disenfranchised by his predecessors. Not everyone among the poor knows of this place because they only care about themselves, and the same is true of the entire aristocracy because no records of this place even exists. It's the safest place imaginable in Zlienderstrom, even if Satanick claims he knows its precise location; it's a lie, of course."

"That's certainly quite a brief history of this district," Macarona remarked as Albino started leading her and Medouco through the various cisterns. What didn't surprise her about it was Satanick's involvement in that disaster and how he started it to rise to power. She figured he'd probably have done something like that. "Though how is it a false statement of his awareness regarding the location of this district? Does that mean there is some measure of danger?"

The demonic student shook her head. "Nope, no danger here, not even from the locals. The Gentleman Devil says he knows where this place is, but he doesn't. Everybody knows the slums exist because of the exterior above, demons in poverty who mostly don't know about this place because they reside in dank, damp alleyways like the ones we had to take to get here. Many of them don't even have homes, several others live in old sections of buildings that're condemned and later destroyed or renovated which forces them out either way. There are a few guards above at the other entrances where some of the homeless live—even they are unaware because the guards are concealed and disguised as poor beggars themselves. However, that is where the danger may lie if you're indeed concerned about it because the chance of Satanick finding out about this place is very real despite being very minimal. Still, the guards are well-trained and are loyal enough to sacrifice themselves for the greater good of these people if they do get caught. They'll not ever reveal the secret entrances if they're nabbed, though there is still the chance of secret entrances being found by accident. Even if they were, the tunnels down are a labyrinth; they're cleaned daily and everything looks exactly the same, plus everything would be a dead end without knowing about the main routes in and out of this populated space. Believe me, we've walked through only one of them—there are several others hidden throughout this area—but they're safe."

"What about when you showed something in your pocket several times on our way down?" the angel asked.

"A hidden mirror in the fabric of my blazer that shows which tunnel to take," Albino explained. "You see, girls, there are hidden mechanisms within the masonry of each tunnel threshold that constantly turn the corridors to connect to other corridors. These devices aren't visible because they're heavily concealed by the stonework. Each and every day the tunnels all turn around a number of three times on a set schedule. Everybody here knows that schedule by heart, and I'm no different. There are hidden spots in each tunnel as well that're only seen by the mirrors we carry and hide; these are signals as to which way to go which is the correct path. That's another reason why Satanick's chances of finding this joint are so low. He and his forces will constantly get lost, maybe even killed if caught in the thresholds as they're already turning. Why, there are actually some that become dead ends on one end with the other leading elsewhere, and some occasions where both seal any occupants in are present in the system." She laughed cheerfully. "Genius plan, isn't it?"

Catching sight of a worried look from Medouco who must've been nervous about that system the student was talking about, Macarona merely smiled to calm the Gorgon down as she spoke up to address Albino. "Yup, that's a great idea, alright," she agreed despite not liking the parts involving death either. Even so, she had to admit it was an excellent means of defense against the Gentleman Devil. Macarona was certainly impressed with how the people who lived down here in the Underground Railroad District managed to come up with such an ingenious plan to protect their society. Even the name seemed to reflect this usage in a way, for the way these tunnels all turned on a schedule did make it feel kind of like a railroad above ground or below as a subway system. Perhaps that was what this place included or had once been in the past if it wasn't around anymore. Maybe not in the tunnels above, but perhaps around this level of the underground.

"I know, right?" Albino chuckled, sounding thankful for the compliment as if she had a part in building it.

"B-but then why the need for armed guards?" Medouco inquired, timidly glancing at one nearby.

"Because say somebody hostile to these people does find their way in to successfully infiltrate the Underground Railroad District," the student went on to answer the question, providing a reason behind the armed guards' presence. "Everybody knows everybody here, and everyone also knows the telltale signs of somebody who's new whether the newcomers are friendly or hostile. The guards shan't attack the former unless they turn hostile later, though, yet they're necessary all the same to preserve law, order, and stability. They're also not part of the militant rabble in service to our Devil as they're an independent organization, one that is also quite secretive to civilization above, I should add, for the demons who live up in Zlienderstrom have no idea they even exist anymore. Stories from the past circulated, but the organization's existence is no longer known to the rest of society, including the Gentleman Devil, due to the great fire."

"Which destroyed all records of this organization's presence, as well as any evidence of what they and the true perpetrators along with any other individuals may have done at the time," Macarona surmised from the explanation. It was precisely the case as Albino nodded to confirm the statement while the young angel continued speaking. "Though this is all just an oral account without proof or anything to support it, meaning it's unclear who is telling a real whole truth."

"I get that, Macarona, but I can assure you it is true, alright," Albino said to insist the story was indeed true. "I know there isn't much proof aside from the oral accounts, though consider what the Gentleman Devil says and does. Next, compare it to what you've seen in Zlienderstrom and the Underground Railroad District while adding in the story you heard from me—i.e. everything I've explained up to this point. You should know what I'm getting at, Macarona, because he framed you for murder and kidnapped you to contribute towards a war against your world." Albino had a point because everything Satanick said and did was indeed proof of that imminent war. It definitely demonstrated the Gentleman Devil was a competent liar with a silver tongue well equipped to tell false stories for people to believe. Furthermore was what Macarona had personally seen him do, some of which even other witnesses could testify about. When she was above in the castle town before, Macarona had witnessed demons just going about their business; many of them were men whereas a few were women, though in some of the latter cases she saw women being mistreated by men. This was further proof of what she heard from Lil, and she saw it with her own eyes with the case of Albino and Hersilia being bullied by those demonic guys before being an example. Yet here within the Underground Railroad District she saw the opposite; women and men coexisted together peacefully in harmony. Perhaps that was because this particular society had always been free of the restrictions on gender—and maybe wealth too—or maybe the women managed to prove themselves to the men. In any case, gender equality was strong here unlike in the town of Zlienderstrom above.

"True," the young angel conceded the point once she considered all of that, "that does make sense, yes. Still, I have yet to really experience the whole story of this particular district. Not to be rude, but this could all just be a ruse."

"To try and fool you into picking a side," Albino finished for her and chuckled. "Please, Macarona, I already know whose side you're on: your home world. You are not being forced to aid these people if you don't want to, but it would totally be appreciated. Even so, I guess you could consider this place as a faction of sorts just as the monarchy is."

"B-but y-you c-can't join either, r-right?" Medouco asked timidly, still hung up on the fact she might've had to pick one of two sides to collaborate with. Each choice posed risks towards her which was understandable and easily forgiven because she was afraid of doing something that would've gotten her in trouble with either one. That must've been why she wanted to try getting out of having to make the decision of choosing which faction to join and support.

"You're a maid, Medouco," the student clarified, "you know you must be of the upper class for the monarchy."

"That would be the prerequisite for the monarchial government," Macarona stated as she comprehended that. "Though I imagine a faction like the gang or organization down here in the Underground Railroad District is lenient in recruitment of new members, yes? Because otherwise how would they be able to protect this area and oppose foes?"

"Somewhat, yeah, but not many can join. Only those with particular skills are eligible for enlisting," Albino explained as she began to go over the gist of what the Underground Railroad District's faction was like. "You see, a certain set of classes are geared more towards this faction: rogues, thieves, nightblades, witch hunters, and even assassins too. You might say they serve as cutthroats because society above says that. This is not true, for they are honorable to an extent. They protect the people of the Underground Railroad District while robbing and murdering those who live above in Zlienderstrom which is why the town labels them as cutthroats. Everything they take is for the poor regardless of whether they're men or women. You won't find a social class system here either except for the very few guild ranks."

"Guild ranks?" the angelic girl repeated those last two words, discovering Albino was actually referring to a guild—an unofficial one at that because it must not have possessed a guild charter due to its quite secretive nature.

"Yup, it's a guild," the demonic student confirmed that suspicion for her as she led Macarona and Medouco towards what appeared to be a merchant caravan established in one of the cisterns. Spotting a sleazy looking snake demon curled up by a fire pit where he was warming his hands, Albino shut her eyes and smiled cheerfully. "Yo, Rattle, is the boss man in now?" she called out to him in an amicable tone to catch his attention. Seeing the snake demon clad in a black robe turn towards her, the trio watched as he returned a rather suspiciously chilling smirk at the group approaching him. A squeak escaped Medouco's mouth as she hid behind Macarona before remembering she was supposed to be a warden for the angel, though said angel went in front of her to protect the Gorgon from anything the snake demon might have done. "Don't worry, girls," Albino assured them he was fine, "Rattle may be a greedy lout with a sinister look, but he's harmless, really—unless of course you happen to offend him in some way, in which case you've got quite a problem."

"Ahh…" the creepy serpent breathed through a bit of smoke from a pipe he was smoking, making sure the smoke didn't go in the direction of Albino and her guests because he knew she'd slap him after coughing if it did. "I see you're looking as sharp as ever for one of those middle class idiots, Albino." He chuckled darkly, getting up to slither towards them. A scar was dashed across his left eye, blinding that one and leaving the other as his only source for vision. Messy white hair flowed down to his shoulders. Rattle's forked tongue emerged and slid across his lips as if he were staring at a meal, plus he left it hanging outside his mouth even after he avoided Albino making an attempt to grab it to shove it back in. "And saucy as always for a little whelp the boss trusts. He's in, but is a little busy with a couple of the prowlers for a job at the moment. Wait a bit and he'll step out after dealing with them." Directing his attention to the guests she brought with her, Rattle slithered past her and eyed over Macarona and Medouco to examine them. "I see you've also brought along 'guests', haven't you, Albino? If I'm not mistaken, the Gorgon's a maid in Nightrise Castle from that family from last week's assignment given to a few of our cat burglars." With a wicked smirk his tail shot into his pocket as he said that to show an amulet decorated with tiny shards of diamonds. Watching Medouco react with fear when her eyes widened at this dramatic reveal that came so suddenly to her, the snake demon took pleasure in watching her tremble.

"Y-you r-robbed my family?!" she stuttered fearfully and muttered incoherently in another language, trying to seize the amulet back from Rattle. Unfortunately, he held it away with his tail and chuckled mischievously before he was slapped by Albino for teasing the maid. "P-please, g-give it b-back! I-it belongs t-to my mother! S-she'd k-kill me—"

"Not my problem," Rattle sneered and pocketed the amulet, refusing to return what was rightfully Medouco's since it was an heirloom of sorts that belonged to one of her parents. "Besides, it's some petty trinket, really. Nothing of esteemed value to her spouse since it's just some knockoff. A valuable knockoff since it's still worth something, but a petty counterfeit all the same. One produced in some average jewelry shop to make women like her look pretty so the men can flaunt their own wealth by making women into trophies." He smirked snidely at the Gorgon. "But you'd know that by now, wouldn't you, maid? You are a young lady yourself, a female who's only ever been an item presented to the Gentleman Devil to be used as he sees fit just as a petty trinket like the amulet was used for a purpose. After all, you're a resident of this hell and know what society is like; yet you serve some aristocratic dipshit who calls himself our Devil without doing anything of your own volition." He shut his eyes. "I suppose you can't after all, but it's still pathetic all the same, really." Turning to Albino, he directed an antagonist gaze at her. "And I'm not returning it," he added to her by referring to the amulet. "I bought it off those cat burglars for a fair price fair and square. It's going in one of our shops."

"You should return it," Macarona spoke up on Medouco's behalf. "It didn't belong to you in the first place."

"But neither did it belong to her mother, nor did it belong to the jewelry store it was made in," Rattle stated to counter her argument. "The items used to produce it were stolen from some middle class home raided by town guards under orders from a government official who worked with the husband to frame the daughter for a murder that was never committed. One of those guards had a connection at the jewelry store, and after secretly taking more than what was promised to them for assisting in the raid, the items used to produce this amulet then became the product you now saw."

Macarona shut her eyes and breathed deeply, realizing this man wasn't going to concede the point even if he did acknowledge common sense. "I cannot speak for that because I do not know whether it is true or not." Now her eyes reopened as she stared at Rattle with determination, standing by the belief that theft was not proper. "However, theft is wrong; it is a crime if committed for the sake of profit of any sort with the exception of good intentions. Although I am not sure if your account did indeed happen, I still believe you should return it to Medouco's family as they might not be aware of how that amulet came to be even if that account was true." Turning next to Albino, she posed a question to the other girl. "Is this what you wanted to lead us to, Albino: a thieves' guild that may deal in illicit affairs like theft and murder?"

Albino was about to speak up and answer the question honestly since she felt it was only fair because the angel was already becoming suspicious. She wanted Macarona and Medouco to give these people a chance, though Rattle made that difficult by bringing up the amulet and his knowledge of who Medouco was. Yet she couldn't say anything to try reassuring them things were okay because the snake demon beat her to the punch while putting his pipe back into his mouth. "Her father was the very connection," he casually retorted to brush the concern aside. "He asked that guard to deliver a 'package' to the jewelry store, and that 'package' consisted of aforementioned items alluded to which made the amulet. I can certainly attest to it since one of our cat burglars overheard the conversation between them by accident and reported it to me. That's how we knew of the amulet and planned to include it amongst other goods we stole as well."

"I see," the young angel said once she better understood the scenario. "Then it should be returned to them."

"The original family that owned it?" Rattle inquired rhetorically while smoking his pipe and exhaling the air in another direction towards the wall. "Sorry, but no. That's no longer possible. You see, the man who wanted that raid conducted to frame his daughter took interest in another woman whom could've gotten him into the upper classes via marriage. He knew his current wife doted on their daughter and planned to frame the latter for murder, knowing the former would've done anything to protect her daughter. His plan worked, and instead of arresting them for the murder that never occurred which was actually known by everyone in town to have been a lie, he sought to kill them. They were carted off to the prison and given a deadly injection of poison that killed them slowly and rather painfully, freeing him from them so he could then remarry and get into the aristocracy. A standard norm of the Devil's Kingdom, really."

"It's a horrible norm," Macarona commented, already well familiar with how women were treated in this hell.

"It is what it is, angel," the crooked snake demon merely smirked and brushed the remark aside with a wave of his hand, evidently not caring for what civilization in this underworld was like and how women were treated in it. "But if I should be so bold, angel, I should say you are the bigger mystery that should be unraveled, not what we really do as well as who we are. You're an odd one, being led here by one of our own footpads without permission from the boss and making observations about us. Word already reached my ears of your arrival in the Underground Railroad District." Turning to Albino next, he snickered at the thought of the one they referred to as a superior punishing her for letting an angel and a castle maid see their hideout. "You know, Albino, the boss isn't going to be too happy about this one bit."

"Can it, you sleazy serpent!" she insulted him. "I only took her to show her the place because of the rumors! Those rumors could be true, you know? Henceforth both parties can scratch each other's backs. It's that beneficial."

Listening to the two of them converse, Macarona could put two and two together regarding Albino's role in all of this. Rattle called her a footpad, a possible rank in the guild they both were likely members of. That meant she must have definitely been a rogue or thief of some kind, or perhaps she was only just an observer for them. That story she told about working in a soup kitchen might've been a cover story even if it was true. Furthermore, the demonic student also might've known more than she was letting on even though Macarona couldn't really determine what she meant by the rumors she mentioned because Albino could've been alluding to any rumors. At best she could narrow it down to: that war Satanick wished to initiate against the Gray Garden; her friendship with Lil; or—if possible—her identity as the reincarnated descendent of Rigatona since she believed word must've spread after it became known in Tani Pasu. It was all she could think of since Albino tied her to rumors in that sentence, so perhaps there was more to this than Macarona thought. Thinking of why her new friend took her to the Underground Railroad District, she could only guess Albino probably wanted to help her in some way in exchange for something as the demonic girl said. Glancing up into the caravan, Macarona felt any occupants within could hear their dialogue—including the boss—and could've joined in.

"Rumors are rumors, Albino," Rattle went on to try quelling the notion she was bringing up. "Unless they had even an inkling of a grain of salt leading towards what's real, they're nothing but figments of imagination and fiction."

Stepping forward since everything was progressing too quickly, Macarona raised both hands up to quiet both demons so she could make her voice heard. "Okay, hold on, you two. Albino, you've yet to explain all of this clearly. I want to know what's going on because I'm still partly in the dark, but I can't process it effectively without information."

"Perhaps you should shut up and listen carefully, angel," the serpent spat at her with a mocking hiss. "You are not getting the whole picture here because you're interrupting and closing yours ears off to valuable conversation."

"Albino," the young angel chose to ignore him and address her instead. Rattle took the hint and just shrugged, returning to where he was sitting, warming up by the fire. "What are you talking about? What kind of guild is this?"

Realizing there was no other way out of this other than to be honest and fill her in on the details, Albino sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose once her hand lowered after facepalming. There was no denying she felt irritated at how the first impression of the guild suddenly went wrong and it contributed to making her look and feel bad. She not only blamed herself because she hadn't told the entire truth to Macarona and Medouco yet by gradually leading them towards this, but also Rattle as well because he just made things worse. He didn't have to show the Gorgon that amulet. "I'm talking about Zlienderstrom's Thieves' Guild, the only Thieves' Guild in the Devil's Kingdom that actually has morals and cares about people of the lower classes. Other Thieves' Guilds in this underworld are all greedy and care only about themselves, nothing but bunches of bandits and brigands the lot of them. As you may have guessed, I'm a full member of this one even though I don't steal anything or kill anyone. Not everyone in this Thieves' Guild does since the boss is pretty understanding and lets members choose their own rank, but there are some who do because it's a means of opposing the aristocrats who seek to have them killed off and swept under the rug to be forgotten forever by history."

"And you didn't tell us all this out in the open above in Zlienderstrom because it'd draw attention here, right?" Macarona asked, beginning to better understand the situation Albino was involved in. "You had to keep appearances of being a normal student up so nobody would've discovered you were a member of this Thieves' Guild." Receiving a nod from the demonic student in response, the young angel went on. "Though you said you aren't like some of the others and that there are other Thieves' Guilds in the Devil's Kingdom that are not as tame as the one you belong to. Why is that? What makes this particular Thieves' Guild different than the others that are more chaotic and cruel in their methods?"

"Because our leader was once a popular military leader who understood military culture better than the other superiors like him did, plus even the other aristocrats since he himself was one of them. He knew the best way to truly understand the army was not to give orders and hope those orders would be followed by competent soldiers who were loyal enough, but to interact with them and form bonds. This tactic was essential to the campaigns he served in since by knowing his men, he was able to ensure they could be accommodated if need be in exchange for their service," Albino explained, providing a background to an individual who had yet to be properly introduced in person. "These interactions also made him and the troops under him close as he preferred spending time with them, getting to know their strengths and weaknesses so they could be placed into certain situations they could handle effectively better than anyone else. He made sure they were safe and never sought to place their lives in any unnecessary danger for he tried to avoid making sacrifices that would've cost him his men. He was popular in the army, though was dishonorably discharged because the Gentleman Devil found somebody he liked and gave the position to that guy instead, somebody loyal to him. Now, our boss was a soldier through and through, only serving for the honor of his homeland, this underworld. His examples were inspirational to many of his men whom supported him in an open rebellion against Satanick. Of course, they did lose and the survivors came here. Before they arrived, the Zlienderstrom Thieves' Guild was like the other rabble; now's it's so much better because the same treatment he showed to his men was applied here, and even women are allowed in."

"He must sound like a great man if he truly cares enough about others to risk his life this way," the angel said.

"That's right," the demonic student agreed, glad Macarona seemed to be approving of this affair. Granted, it was still kind of illegal due to the current legislative conditions in which the law outlawed this guild. "Though to be fair, the boss still acknowledges the norms of our culture, the restrictions on women and wealth. While he has abolished the latter down here, he'll only welcome women who're willing to fight for the cause. A lot of women may not be able to, and that's okay since he realizes they're fearful of repercussions of acting which is why he doesn't punish them, but takes them under his protection nonetheless as long as they can help others in a different way even if they're not part of the guild. Not everybody down here is, though they all follow his examples. However, those who are greedy and care only about themselves whether they're men or women are not accepted since we can tell they'll do anything for better lives, even informing the Gentleman Devil about us. That's a risk none of us can take, but we do feel sorry for them all the same."

"I see," the young angel commented once Albino finished explaining that. "What of your guild ranks? Who performs what assignments and who constitutes the membership of your Thieves' Guild?" she then asked curiously.

"Looking to enlist after all, angel?" Rattle spoke up once more from his seat at the fire pit, directing his attention towards her once he blew out a ring of smoke. The girls couldn't be sure if he was joking or was being serious, though he gave the explanation regardless of which case it was. "Fine, I'll tell you so long as you promise to keep it all a secret. Footpads are watchers and listeners, our eyes and ears so to speak because they gather up the news around town and distribute it to us by way of oral accounts since physical evidence can be missed. Prowlers scout out potential job sites where heists and assassinations take place, but do not act even if they're permitted to enter the premises for any further scouting to acquire additional details such as patrol routes and how tight security is. Cat burglars perform the heists by any means necessary: pickpocketing, breaking and entering, robbery, etc. Shadowfeet are our assassins, nightblades, and witch hunters; they slay quarry marked by this Thieves' Guild and keep a close watch on this district as guards. Next are our fences like myself who purchase stolen goods from cat burglars and loot from slain quarry for our market down here. Finally, there's the master thief and ringleader of the whole Thieves' Guild in Zlienderstrom, our boss of the military."

"So in a sense this might be considered a black market of sorts?" Macarona inquired.

Albino shook her head despite conceding the point. "Nope, not exactly, though I'd say it depends on who you ask. Several of the other Thieves' Guilds do operate in economic partnerships. Of course, alliances are made and break between them just like in society above. Still, a few of them do deal in ill-gotten goods like we do. A couple do work with independent black markets and are even black markets themselves. Our only consumers are the people who make up this particular community in the Underground Railroad District whether they're citizens or Thieves' Guild members. Only the poor can really join the latter, though the boss is willing to make exceptions for people of the middle class who clearly demonstrate their desire to help the lower classes. I'm one of the few who has, and I personally know the boss since he's a father figure to me more than my real father is. Anyone of the upper classes won't know about us, and even if they did, they'd be strictly forbidden from joining despite the fact the boss is willing to even make exceptions for them as well."

"So long as they show the same dedication you show, correct?" Macarona asked as Albino nodded.

"Certainly," she replied, "and in exchange for their service the members can acquire certain benefits. Wages have always been a standard given, yet other rewards and privileges are bestowed upon those who prove invaluable. Consider me for example; Hersilia knows nothing about what I do for the guild, but I've asked for protection for her and her family. They'll not be robbed or killed as they shall never be targets of the Zlienderstrom Thieves' Guild. However, to avoid unnecessary conflict with the other Thieves' Guilds they cannot protect their lives; just Hersilia's because she's my friend. Everyone else in her family are strong supporters of the Gentleman Devil which is why they aren't protected."

"Even the Thieves' Guild must have its own limits just as there are restrictions on society," Macarona observed while Albino nodded again to confirm the validity of that statement. "But surely some risks can be taken, can they?"

"Not if they're too risky to be taken," a gruff, yet strong voice commented from inside the caravan. With his presence now known to the group standing outside, the speaker stepped into the threshold after two demons exited. Attired in a military uniform consisting of a flowing black trench coat over a pair of dark red jeans with brown army boots decked on his hoofed feet, the dark skinned Bori that responded stepped down and lightly patted Albino on her head as a way to cordially greet her. It may have been a bit rough for a greeting, but the warmhearted nature was there. "No sir, there's no way in any hell I'm risking the lives of my followers on another battlefield again, not after what happened the last time." Directing his attention to the demonic student who smiled up at him and returned the greeting as a hug, the Bori put an arm around her shoulder to do the same. "Albino, good to see ya, lass. School's been going well for you, has it? Those bastards we usually keep off your tail haven't been bothering you lately, have they. Cause if they have, they'll—"

The young demon smiled up at him. "Already taken care of by my new friend," she replied and turned her head towards Macarona while holding an arm out to introduce the young angel. "This is Macarona, an angel from the Gray Garden. The Gentleman Devil framed her for murdering one of his assassins and whisked her here to our underworld. He's likely wanting to spark a war with that world. You think this could be a great opportunity for the Thieves' Guild?"

"A great opportunity," the Bori laughed, parroting those words in a sarcastic tone that, strangely, was also cheerful. "Oh, it's better than that if the timing's right, lass. We've got ourselves a war on the Devil's hands and he'll be busy administering to keeping it going. He'll have raised enough troops from around the area to give us an opening for high quality theft against the aristocrats. Helps keep the pressure on him to please them as he fails to find our hideout." Finishing his brief dialogue with her, the demonic man turned to face Macarona and Medouco. Splitting from Albino, he walked over to examine them. "Well, well, seems my little lark has brought in some unexpected company. What song did she have to sing that captivated you into following her lead down into our quaint little Underground Railroad?"

"Oh nothing much, I just helped her and a friend of hers out when some bullies—I'm assuming the same guys you referred to as well just now—were picking on them," Macarona answered honestly and bowed before him. "As she said, my name is Macarona. It is a pleasure to meet you, sir. Albino has told me much about you and your organization for the past several minutes. I must say, I never expected such a cozy little district in a place like this to have been around."

"Nobody ever does until they see this joint," the Bori remarked and held a hand out to give a firm handshake. "Name's Yarg Xof, master thief and ringleader of this tight knit organization we call the Thieves' Guild. Don't let the guild's moniker fool you; that's just to make it seem like we're associated with the other Thieves' Guilds in some way to avoid detection. Helps when the authorities searching for us can't make a lick of sense when determining which of the Thieves' Guilds is which when each one goes by the same name. Playing the blame game is a surefire way of trouble being drawn to them and off of us since we follow the same tactics the others use and frame them, the worst offenders. Anyone who helps out one of my own is okay in my book, so feel free to make yourself welcome in our little district."

"Thank you, I appreciate the offer," the angelic girl said as Yarg turned to Medouco next.

"Now then, you yourself are a maid in service to the Gentleman Devil, correct?" he asked her.

The Gorgon nodded nervously, fighting to prevent herself from hiding behind Macarona for protection. "U-um, y-yes, t-that's m-me, s-sir," she stuttered timidly and curtsied bashfully. "I-I, u-uh, u-um, m-my name's Medouco." Evidently introducing herself was a struggle because she still felt conflicted and scared over being involved in this.

"Forgive me for saying so, Miss Medouco, but you don't seem the trustworthy type in my eyes," the Bori said while looking her over. "Your attire speaks of you being a medic of sorts and all, though your position as a maid does mean you'll probably have an opportunity to inform Satanick of our meeting. That's something of a significant issue."

"Is there someplace we can discuss this?" Macarona asked, wishing to negotiate with him on Medouco's behalf.

Yarg turned back to the caravan and walked up into it, gesturing for them to follow. "Sure, come on in and make yourself at home. Albino, you come too since this angel's a friend of yours. Oh, and Rattle," he added, stopping for a moment to address the fence, "do play nice with the newcomers, okay? We wouldn't want to make bad impressions."

"Sure, sure," the sleazy snake demon said as the girls all followed the demonic man into the caravan. Looking around as they walked along the boards, Macarona found the feel and look of the place to be really appealing. Sweet smelling herbs hung from racks alongside a variety of decorations like wind chimes, beads, tapestries, and even short daggers and other metal pieces. Baskets and vases lined shelves and the sides of the walls at the bases on the floor as an assortment of items was located in each one. Going to the back with the leader, the young angel and her companions also saw something of an office area set up inside with a desk adorned with standard office supplies and papers while a bookcase and a display rack were off to the side. A door at the end must've led deeper into what might've been Yarg's house, though the group didn't go any further as the Bori sat down at his desk while Albino claimed a chair near him.

"Go on and take a seat on the bench, you two," Yarg directed Macarona and Medouco towards the bench present as well. Once they were seated, he decided to get down to business. "Now, what'd you want to discuss?"

"I wish to speak about how you came to lead these people from your perspective first, then we can go over anything that is required of you if you're able to do anything that is within your power," Macarona stated to start there.

"The old origin's story, eh?" the demonic man chuckled and sat back in his seat. "I overheard Albino telling you much of it while I was speaking with those other guys. Her account still holds, but before I became an aristocrat I was some poor farmhand working for his father down in one of the villages. Military officials came down demanding recruits and I found myself drafted. Eventually I worked my way up through the ranks, though my humble beginnings were primarily the reason why I felt it important to associate with the men under my command as I rose through the ranks. I had learned to respect my superiors and pleasantly accommodate those who weren't as a farmhand. Farmer, shepherd, preacher, military leader; it never matters which role one fulfills so long as they stick by their flock and care about it. I was awarded prestigious positions and invited my men to partake in the celebrations, even letting them have free access to my estate in the Magnus District whenever they needed me. Satanick didn't take too kindly to my preference for the soldiers, however, and eventually located somebody who'd act more like the aristocrat he expected me to become as one."

"It must've been quite a tough life even if it did have its benefits," the young angel observed as Yarg chuckled.

"Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger and experienced. You see around corners better when learning from life and watching it go by as you traverse it," the Thieves' Guild leader remarked, liking the observation. "Anyway, I was quite popular with my men to the point where they unanimously aided me. I was sour about being dishonorably discharged and they were too because it meant they'd no longer have me as a leader. So the legion I led rebelled and we were subsequently crushed. We were a guerilla force, you see, hence our skills as assassins and nightblades. However, the Gentleman Devil knew where we were because we were still preparing for the rebellion. Apparently he wanted us to rebel so he could cover up a bunch of evidence from skirmishes and wars we've been involved in—conflicts he had instigated, by the way. Using my anger towards him choosing an inefficient and callous man to lead my men was the justification he'd been looking for to label them as rebels alongside me and say it was a military coup. Believe me, girls, we might not have adequate proof; though we all know him well enough to deduce whatever he is currently up to."

"Yup," Albino added, crossing her arms. "Our Devil's a rotten apple through and through. You could say the people of this underworld would say the same thing, though I've already gone over a lot of why they don't with you. So has Lil herself, apparently, as she is in your world and is a friend of yours, Macarona, so you're familiar with it already."

"Ah, his wife's in your world, is that right?" the Bori asked as Macarona nodded. "Interesting, must be some martial dispute between the two of them. Explains why she's in your world to begin with, knowing our hell and all."

"Seems like you're already more familiar with the situation than I am," Macarona stated as Yarg nodded.

"It's been going on for centuries, ever since the royal dynasty gave power to politicians in Zlienderstrom," he explained to elaborate slightly on content that had already been gone over before. "Satanick just made it all worse. It's no big deal in Winter's Valley which is entirely unaffected by his policies and legislation, though everywhere else is a mess."

"So why not do something about it?" the young angel asked. "You've got military training, after all."

"But not enough forces under my command, and I do use that word, 'command' rather loosely," the Bori commented. "I lost most of my men in the failed rebellion. Some of us made it after the initial conflict, though we've gradually been hunted down afterwards. The Underground Railroad District is the only safe place left for us and other demons whom were victimized by the Gentleman Devil's policies and laws that left them homeless. We've been able to provide for them here to the point where everyone's essentially like a middle class citizen now, though only those of us veterans in the guild are left of the legion I commanded. We've recruited those willing to aid our cause, including the women because none of us discriminate against them or anyone else, and we've done our best to train them in our ways. Still, our membership is lower than expected, so all we can do are regular crimes instead of openly rebelling again. You might say it was a mistake to in the first place when we were a militant force, but we were still honorable to declare our intentions—that's something Satanick doesn't bother to respect, agree to, or even conduct for that matter. It's an issue."

"A big one, that is," the demonic student next to him concurred as she took the floor next. "We're lucky the Gentleman Devil hasn't found this place yet and isn't aware there were some survivors of that legion including Yarg. He and all the ones that're left managed to elude capture by remaining so inactive for years that it lulled Satanick into a state of false security. He's still saying he'll purge the slums of the lower classes so the aristocracy can expand once he cleans out the territory of poor people and everything they have left in life via killing them to steal everything. This whole war that's going on between the Devil's Kingdom and your world, Macarona, is an opportunity for us to have some space for breathing better. At the same time, however, we're also looking to increase the pressure on Satanick as Yarg said. The way it works is simple: we steal from the rich and give to the poor while executing those in the upper class who have committed serious crimes against the lower classes they were able to get away with because the law in this underworld legally allows them to without fear of any repercussions. In turn, they make demands to Satanick that the lower classes be purged because they—rightfully—believe the threats comes from there. We stay hidden, and he fails to catch us all."

"We're not associated with the other Thieves' Guilds as I've said already, though the name is something of a denotation, a moniker if you," Yarg continued the explanation. "A common one at that since the other Thieves' Guilds utilize the same name to try and pin the blame on one another. We're no different in that regard, Macarona, but at least we're not like those bandits. For one thing we share with those down here in the Underground Railroad whereas those other guilds would fight amongst themselves for power even in their own institutions. We also don't work with the nobility, but some of them will which creates a contradiction in the need to purge the lower classes. You see, this town isn't the only settlement to have issued demands that Satanick clean up the regions by purging the poor; others followed suit until it became a widespread problem throughout the Devil's Kingdom with the exception of Winter's Valley. It's no secret that some of them actually do work with the other Thieves' Guilds, but it's unclear which of them do just as it's unknown if they also collaborate with other criminals. Satanick realizes this and even he associates with some of the very 'scum' he's pledged to purge, but he continues to make promises that he'll do it. He believes discovering these secret connections can give him an edge over the aristocrats under him so he can blackmail the whole lot of them. In truth it's nothing more than a powder keg waiting to explode for each of these connections will shatter alliances everywhere."

"Not just those between the aristocrats, mind you, but also with him as well," Albino kept it going. "Taking a huge risk to unearth the connections as best he can in order to take advantage of them is problematic because anything could go wrong. He's already buttered them up real nicely, yet their opinion of him would lower to some extent. We're unsure how much that may be in other areas since we don't have much reach outside of this region. In Zlienderstrom the Gentleman Devil has assured the loyalty of the upper classes to such a degree that even if he were to fail keeping his promise to eliminate us, he'd still be let off the hook so long as he can provide an alternative that pleases them, hence the war against the Gray Garden, Macarona, which certainly presents an opportunity to acquire resources and territory. It'll also please other settlements that are loyal to him too—they all are—so this campaign could satisfy them enough to a point when they'll overlook his failure to purge the lower classes. Of course, there are consequences of purging them."

"You mean he'd have to deal with those living in ghettos and slums who've been disenfranchised by this civilization," Macarona stated since she was beginning to fully comprehend the situation better. Lil was an expert on what her underworld was like, though even the demonic lady hadn't considered this much. Most likely her being cooped up in Nightrise Castle prevented her from really learning too much about what was happening in the Devil's Kingdom. Still, Lil's account was definitely being proven even if she didn't know the full story, so Macarona would inform her later about this if she and the demonic lady reunited. "They might not have much power to effectively revolt, though it's possible social, racial, and cultural tensions could be enflamed if he were to do so which could make things so much more worse."

"Perhaps," Yarg concurred on the possibility of such a revolutionized eruption. "Still, the restrictions on both wealth and gender have contributed to an alarming rate of massive greed that turned good people into power hungry addicts who rely on the way things are in this hell because it's the only thing they can actually depend on. Reforming the Devil's Kingdom will be difficult since they're so reliant on the system as it is now that change could destroy it all."

"But could you at least make attempts to do something about it?" the angelic girl inquired hopefully.

Albino shrugged and shook her head. "Unfortunately no, not really. All we can do is fend for ourselves and protect those close to us here in the Underground Railroad District. We've been able to form a stable community when others have failed to. None of us are truly willing to really risk much of anything at this point unless the rumors are true."

"Yes, you've mentioned something about rumors," Macarona asserted now that Albino reminded her of that. Her comment elicited a small smirk from the demonic student as it appeared was going to cover those rumors now.

"Word's traveled far, even to the Devil's Kingdom," the young demon remarked. "Merchant traders came in one day after hearing of something interesting that once happened in a town over in the Shadowed Sanctuary. Seems a girl going by your name claimed to be the reincarnated descendent of Rigatona, Commander-in-Chief of the armies serving the White Goddess of the Colored Rainbow World and best friend to Yosaflame, Commander-in-Chief of the Black Devil's military. Apparently the girl who made this claim was an angel, so I'm assuming you are indeed her."

Macarona nodded. "Indeed, you are precisely correct, I am Rigatona's reincarnated descendent. I suspect if you've heard that much about me, you probably also heard that Ivlis, the Flame Devil was defeated by four girls in the Gray Garden. I was one of them, and so was one of my best friends who was Yosaflame's reincarnated descendent."

"So, the rumors may be true after all," Yarg commented, putting a bent finger to his chin. "Still, I must point out I'm not entirely convinced without any evidence of either claim. Because of that, I'm not sure taking opportunities to actually rebel now would be safe or not based on our numbers, our strength, and your testimony which isn't backed by concrete proof. Whether you're telling the truth or not is uncertain to me, so at this stage I don't think I can do much. Even if those rumors were proven true, however, I'm not confident we can get very far even with guerilla tactics since there's still the risk of getting caught. It's not that I don't want to believe you, Macarona, it's that the situation is still unclear."

"I fully understand your position, Mr. Yarg," the angel shut her eyes and bowed her head in respect for him. "I've no means at the moment to persuade you otherwise, plus I do not wish to force you to concede and assist me. It's going to be difficult as you said, though for now could a smaller arrangement be made? Could anything be done?"

The Thieves' Guild ringleader closed his eyes in deep thought, considering their options at present. They've already gone over the important stuff they wanted to talk about, yet he still hadn't addressed the issue of Medouco. The Gorgon had remained quiet throughout the meeting, though now he wanted to hear from her. "Miss Medouco?" he inquired to get her attention. "You are a maid in Nightrise Castle under Satanick. How can I get you to not talk of this?"

"Y-you mean y-you wish for me t-to be silent?" the demonic maid asked nervously as he nodded.

"Indeed," the former military leader answered her, directing a cold glare at the Gorgon. "I'm going to level with you. We already know of your position as a maid in the castle. We also know about how you got into that position in the first place due to the theft of several items from your parents' estate. I'm sure you just want to do a good job so you could avoid getting in trouble, but right now you're at a crossroads: either inform Satanick about us, or keep silent. You've got two choices, each with benefits and consequences. You'll avoid trouble from either one whichever you choose; even so, picking one is not without consequences from the other. Although I cannot fully convince you to accept right away, I would like to request that you at least consider the following proposals I'm putting on the table. One: you'll receive any items stolen from your family back for your cooperation in being silent. Two: assist our Thieves' Guild by becoming a spy in Nightrise Castle for us, and we'll extend protection to your family. These are the conditions I'm putting out, though I'm only asking that the first be upheld so that you and your family won't have to experience repercussions from us."

"So, you're asking for Medouco's silence and her recruitment into the Thieves' Guild?" Macarona asked.

"Just her silence, not recruitment even though her aid will be appreciated," Albino clarified that point as she too addressed the Gorgon. "My advice is to take the deal. You never know what Satanick will do even if you refuse us and side with him. It's the best offer you can get, Medouco. You've got some time to consider it, but we encourage you to think quickly. We're the only ones who can guarantee complete immunity from the Gentleman Devil—to some extent of course depending on the circumstances and how much it'll help us. Even if your family lived elsewhere, we can still attempt to work out a way to uphold our end of the bargain. You've got our word as honorable shadows of the night."

"Yes," Yarg concurred with her and leaned forward, hands clasped together. "So, what'll it be?"

…

 **Once again we've reached the conclusion of another chapter that delves further into the non-canon lore of Zlienderstrom and the Devil's Kingdom. This time I've decided to develop an organization with a chaotic good alignment behind because of its actions and beliefs. This organization, which I named the Thieves' Guild after the guild of the same name from the Elder Scrolls universe, is an institution that emphasizes freedom for the lower classes of society in the Devil's Kingdom while stealing from upper class aristocrats they will also slay to uphold justice on behalf of the poor. When creating the Thieves' Guild, I looked to the Elder Scrolls franchise for some inspiration and based it off of the Thieves' Guilds in Cyrodiil and Skyrim. In Cyrodiil, the Thieves' Guild takes a very similar approach towards the upper classes in civilization which I think might've been inspired by Robin Hood due to its leader, the infamous Gray Fox, being of that nature. However, in Skyrim the Thieves' Guild's behavior is more chaotic as they can even sanction murder besides thieving. In this way the Thieves' Guild in Zlienderstrom very much like these two forms of the Thieves' Guilds in the Elder Scrolls universe. Regarding its leader, Yarg Xof, his name is the Gray Fox's name spelled backwards, plus he was also somewhat inspired by Caleb from Rose Gun Days, a visual novel by 07** **th** **Expansion, the creators of: Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, Umineko no Naku Koro ni, and Higanbana no Saku Yoru ni. Rose Gun Days is a series that takes place in Japan after World War II, and it's about how the Japanese citizens of Japan are struggling to survive under American and Chinese occupation following the war. It's an interesting series from what I've read of the manga so far, and this series too could be considered inspiration for my non-canon development of the Devil's Kingdom.**

 **With regards to the character of Yarg Xof, he is a Bori as the story says. In West African folklore and mythology, a Bori is a type of spirit residing in the habitats around the Hausa people. Yarg is in the form of a human with hoofed feet which is one of the forms characteristic of the Bori in addition to shapeshifting. A Bori typically isn't hostile unless something is inadvertently/advertently done to offend it, though the Bori is a creature that seeks to be wanted by people even though something must be given in exchange for its aid. To dispel a Bori, iron must be used against it in some way—even to the point of actually saying the word 'iron'—plus saying its own name will make the Bori a slave of sorts. While Yarg Xof may not seem to display all of these traits, I wanted to try and make his appearance related to the West African notion of what a Bori looks like based off of what I read in A Field Guide to Demons, Vampires, Fallen Angels, and Other Subversive Spirits by Carol K. Mack and Dinah Mack, a source some of you might likely be familiar with from other fanfics I've written. Their book does include some illustrations of the beings they discuss, though unfortunately the Bori is one of several others that doesn't feature an illustration. Because there was no illustration, I've had to use my imagination of what a Bori is like based on its description in the book. Hopefully I've done my best in describing this character's appearance.**

 **As for the Underground Railroad District, I've named it after the Underground Railroad on which slaves in America traveled to escape slavery in the nineteenth century. It was comprised of safe houses along secretive routes known to the slaves and abolitionists who sought to help slaves acquire their freedom. Typically the route began in the south where slaves would start their journey before they progressed north into northern states and Canada too because slavery was not so much of an issue in the north as it was in the south. The period when it was at its height was the decade between 1850 and 1860. A lot of influential individuals at the time were involved in the Underground Railroad, including such well-known figures like Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass. Because of its importance to slaves who wished to escape slavery with the help of abolitionists, I've decided to name this particular district of Zlienderstrom after the Underground Railroad as a way to honor it. However, another reason was because of its secretive nature for a good cause which is different from the cause followed by the Thieves' Guild of this district; even so, I thought it sounded like a proper name for this district.**

 **The trolley problem is a thought experiment conducted by Philippa Foot in 1967 which was debated by philosophers with regards to its meaning how it applies to certain situations and how individuals act in those situations. According to the problem, a trolley that can't be stopped is speeding towards five people who are on the tracks for whatever reason; an individual who is near a switch that'll change the trolley's course could save these five people, though at the expense of just a single individual who's on another set of tracks the trolley is directed onto. There are many variations of this thought experiment, and it is also covered by utilitarianism.**

 **The great fire that is alluded to in this chapter was based off of two similar disasters that took place in Rome and London. The Great Fire of Rome began in 64 A.D. and it caused massive destruction for six days. Various accounts of how it happened blamed the reigning emperor at the time, Nero, for starting it or for doing something to stop the fires. Regardless of what had actually happened, Nero pointed discontent over the problem towards Christians which led to the first persecution against them. In London, a bakery erupted into flames and spread throughout much of the city in 1666. The fire was put out when strong eastern winds died out while the Tower of London garrison was utilizing gunpowder as a way to produce firebreaks that halted the flames. One thing I want to note, however, is that the year it took place in, 1666, has the number of the Beast in it which may make it sound demonic in nature. Whether that may be the case or not is uncertain as it is merely speculation.**

 **One thing I forgot to mention in the last chapter was that the name Magnus for one of the districts in Zlienderstrom is actually a Latin translation of 'noble'. The specific usage was for the noun of the word used.**

 **You can learn more about this stuff on Wikipedia if you're interested. As the disclaimer for Skyrim is already in another chapter, I'll not refer to it in this chapter because the disclaimer's already been done. As for Oblivion, that too can be covered by the same disclaimer because it's in the same universe as Skyrim and is also made by the same developers. The following disclaimer for Rose Gun Days, however, can be found just below.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Rose Gun Days as it is owned by 07** **th** **Expansion.**


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two: Moonshadow Manor

In the end they had gone with the deal, or at least part of it. Medouco had trouble deciding which of the two offers she'd commit to. Yarg Xof had only requested she make at least one decision and Albino suggested Medouco should've gone ahead and accepted both. Each option had pros and cons. Staying quiet about her trip with Macarona to the Underground Railroad District and its Thieves' Guild in exchange for reacquiring the items stolen from her family was the easiest of the two, yet it was so difficult after what she heard from Rattle and because she felt apprehensive as accepting it meant she was betraying her family and the position they worked so hard to put the young Gorgon in. Cooperating was the harder of the two for that same reason, but in working with them she'd have secured protection for her family from both the Thieves' Guild and the Gentleman Devil. They were right that it was indeed possible for the Gentleman Devil to have done something to her, though the poor maid believed service to him could've been enough to at least secure that protection. Granted, she was incompetent which was a truth she found hard to accept, but continued acknowledging all the same. Even if she were to have suffered dire consequences by herself at the hands of Satanick, as long as her family was okay it could've been fine despite the fact she was clearly quite terrified of the Gentleman Devil.

Medouco hemmed and hawed, hesitating the entire time until Macarona spoke up on her behalf. The young angel requested that only the first condition be accepted. Her answer startled Medouco because she didn't expect the angelic girl to have spoken up, plus she still wasn't sure that it was the right thing to do. She begged Macarona to keep out of the affair in a polite, if rather timid, manner, though Macarona was undaunted. The reasoning for the decision being made for Medouco was that taking only one condition would've secured the return of those stolen items so long as the Gorgon remained silent. The Thieves' Guild would ensure the stolen goods were returned and wouldn't dare betray Medouco to the Gentleman Devil. Although Medouco was still upset over the decision being made for her when she was the one who would've gotten in trouble, Macarona merely smiled at her to reassure the demonic maid that it was okay. Henceforth the first condition was accepted; the second was turned down. Yarg Xof accepted the response and he understood it was difficult accepting both which was why he only asked for one decision. Yet it was a trick discussion on their part as Macarona revealed because choosing the second option of working with the Thieves' Guild meant they'd have agreed on the first as well. The Thieves' Guild ringleader laughed at her discovering that, liking her perception. Nonetheless, they still went with the first condition because Medouco was too scared of full cooperation with them.

Macarona assured her all they had to do was keep quiet and promised she wouldn't dare ever speak a word of this transaction to anybody. Her vow reassured Medouco and calmed her somewhat, but the Gorgon was still afraid. Betrayal of this kind regardless of how small it might've seemed was actually a big deal since she had become what the Gentleman Devil would've called her out on if he found out: a coconspirator against him. Even if she wasn't directly spying on him for the Thieves' Guild, staying mum on its presence in Zlienderstrom and its opposition to Satanick was a crime the Gentleman Devil and his supporters wouldn't have overlooked. Medouco's family would've found out too, and they'd have been ashamed to learn that she, their gift to Satanick, had done something in opposition to him. Even though it was for their benefit because they'd still be receiving the stolen goods back, they would never tolerate her betrayal. The poor maid risked so much by simply silencing herself on the matter, and it was very evident to Macarona that her friend was worrying about the long run which wasn't surprising. As she looked at the demonic maid while they were walking along the path they were on, the young angel couldn't help but worry about the effect it had on Medouco.

With their business with Yarg concluded, the Thieves' Guild ringleader gave the two of them permission to meet with other members of the guild and talk to them to learn their stories about how they wound up in the Underground Railroad District because of Satanick. Albino guided them throughout the entire district, taking Macarona and Medouco to each of the various connecting cisterns for the brief tour of the Underground Railroad District. At one point during the tour a shadowfoot approached them with a brief report of how spies had been following the girls above in Zlienderstrom. Thankfully the spies were misdirected elsewhere because of illusions cast by the nightblades who caught their scent and observed them following the trio in Zlienderstrom, so none of them would've learned about the underground district.

Those illusions worked, tricking the spies into thinking Albino led them through a shortcut to another district. The spies hadn't caught their deception, and unbeknownst to the girls—despite the fact they still suspected it occurred—they had reported in to Storm. Claiming the quarry they tailed didn't do or say anything stupid as they hadn't caught what Albino said, nor did they see through the illusions, they simply said all was well and let the Spymaster inform Satanick. Unfortunately, the Gentleman Devil was still very suspicious even though he didn't have the evidence to support his beliefs that Macarona and Medouco were getting involved in activity he didn't approve of. Under his orders, Yagi had interrogated them about where they went upon their return to Nightrise Castle after their tour with Albino. Macarona countered his suspicion with the fact he had no proof and was citing nothing but suspicions, pointing out the rather hypocritical irony of him and Satanick pointing out suspicions where there were none. Granted, there were, though neither she nor Medouco said anything that would've given them away to prove it. Yagi was still suspicious, though defeated by the counterpoint all the same. He accepted his defeat in a rather begrudging fashion indicating he hadn't liked it, but let them slide for the time being since he had to go to Nightfall Castle, the other castle located in the Magnus District.

Once the goat demon made his exit, Macarona and Medouco caught sight of Glasses talking with another demon the angel didn't recognized. The demonic maid pointed out it was Sullivan as they headed over to the men so they could speak with them. The Gentleman Devil's son inquired how things were going and asked if there was anything Macarona needed which the young angel replied to by inquiring if it there was a chance of Medouco being temporarily moved to similar quarters near hers. It made sense since that way Medouco would have been close by to do her duty as the angel's personal warden, so Glasses informed them he'd speak to his father about it and see if something could've been done about that. After he separated from his boss, Sullivan and Macarona then spoke to each other and introduced themselves before they conversed about the former's job and his thoughts on civilization. Sullivan proved trustworthy in their first interaction together, and he even invited Macarona and Medouco to join him for a visit to his daughter's house in the Magnus District just on the outskirts of town; not too far from the town, but still a distance away from his home.

One thing Macarona found interesting about the Magnus District was that it comprised the very outskirts of Zlienderstrom because of the various estates that comprised many acres of land outside the castle town. In this manner the upper classes were keeping the civilians of the middle and lower classes trapped between themselves and the monarchial government they collaborated with. Although it was a small demonstration of how upper classes treated those below them, it still signified that aristocrats could've done anything because they had maneuverability in society to accomplish their objectives and fulfill any goals. Macarona may have been impressed with the size of each estate from when she saw the place from a distance just in front of the gate leading into the Magnus District, but she didn't like the implications of what it symbolized in society. That was where she and Medouco separated from Albino because of the restriction that prevented her from actually traversing into the district. Without an official from the government, she was barred from accessing the Magnus District. With Sullivan as their guide today, however, the two of them could enter unopposed.

Throughout their jaunt in the Magnus District, Macarona expressed her awe at the Victorian styled mansions and manors that dotted the landscape in several locations. Each one was vastly different depending on the function it served in civilization, and the various terrestrial biomes that comprised each estate in accordance to the wishes of the property owners also made each estate look amazing. This was because of landscaping geomancers contracted to shift the land and alter it however the property owners pleased. It was why the Magnus District was also considered the most terrestrially cultured place throughout the Devil's Kingdom. An additional plus was that each estate in of themselves served as embassies of sorts for various dignitaries and emissaries from other regions of the Devil's Kingdom along with various underworlds too. Clearly each aristocrat possessed ties to where they originally were from which helped cement ties between the Gentleman Devil and allies of each aristocrat. Yet there were also several separate embassies present as well for those who preferred their own headquarters to be apart and unique from the estates with their own biomes too.

Still gazing at the demonic maid and getting worried about how Medouco felt, Macarona placed a hand on her shoulder to bring her back to reality. The Gorgon had been in a reverie for some time today, pondering on what she'd gotten herself into without the free will to choose for herself. Her angelic companion, the prisoner she was supposed to be observing and keeping an eye on for Satanick, had essentially forced her along a path Medouco was scared to travel on. Macarona was placing herself at risk doing things that would've angered the Gentleman Devil, especially because a war was going to be fought between the Gray Garden and the Devil's Kingdom. She'd been very open and trusted the Gorgon with her life, calling Medouco a close friend and vowing to protect her. However, Medouco still had trouble dealing with the notion of a prisoner holding her in such high regard despite the demand of making her tag along so Macarona could learn more about the Devil's Kingdom with her own eyes and through interactions with its residents. The Gorgon listened to the angel's speech on why she was opposing Satanick, watched her drive off some men—a few of whom were connected to the military under the Gentleman Devil—and participated in negotiations with a Thieves' Guild. Granted, Zlienderstrom's Thieves' Guild was an upstanding organization with moral codes despite the fact it was perceived to be an evil institution in the eyes of society above, though it was still a chaotic institution even if it was good. However, it was still tough to determine what the right thing to do was and how it would help her; Macarona was an excellent friend, though Medouco was still very terrified of opposing the Gentleman Devil by helping the angelic girl.

"Are you okay, Medouco?" the young angel inquired, hoping she could cheer her up. "You're not too upset about what's going on, right?" She was referring to yesterday and those revelations which forcefully smashed into Medouco to make the poor maid feel conflicted and confused about everything. Medouco was terrified of what might have happened to her and her family, how she unwillingly took part in escorting an angel who was doing everything she could to try and stop Satanick from going through with his war against her home world. Although the demonic maid didn't want to get involved any further, she couldn't help but feel worried about the angel. Macarona was such a nice girl, somebody who fought for what was right and freely chose her allies carefully while aiding them as they helped her in some way whether it was small or large. Watching Macarona do what she did and how she acted made Medouco feel pretty upset with herself for not having the courage to really be of much assistance. She was such a shy, timid young lady in service to a Devil who could do anything, a position that left her unable to truly act on her own and for others too. Medouco had to admit she did like Macarona, but felt the young angel was risking too much to oppose Satanick.

"O-oh, u-uh, u-um, I-I'm fine, Macarona," the maid murmured quietly, but still loud enough for Macarona to hear her. Looking up to watch where she was going instead of facing the ground in shame, the Gorgon watched their guide for today talking on a cellphone. Sullivan had called his daughter to let her know they were on their way, having a bit of trouble convincing her to stay on the line and talk with him. Of course, her 'rebel phase' was an issue he seemed to have trouble overcoming in order to get through to her. Thankfully Sullivan didn't hear their dialogue because he was busy trying to talk with his daughter, so Medouco could respond freely. "I-it's j-just that what happened the other day w-wasn't s-something that s-should've been done. I-I'm still in service to M-Mr. Satanick, I-I c-can't afford to—"

"Betray him, I know," Macarona finished for her while lowering her voice too, understanding how Medouco felt as she thought back to yesterday's deal with Yarg Xof. Today she was attired in a blazer much like the one Albino wore yesterday with another pair of jeans and black boots. "I know it was a difficult transaction to make, though they were such good people who did not deserve what happened to them because it wasn't fair, and they could've done something to hurt you if you declined. It's a good thing we were able to make a compromise for your safety, Medouco, plus they get those things back." That bit was an allusion to the stolen items being returned to Medouco's family which the Gorgon was grateful for even if she did have to keep silent about it. "You probably wouldn't have gotten out of that place alive."

Medouco shuddered timidly, shutting her eyes and taking a deep breath to try and calm down. It didn't work, unfortunately, for in the darkness of her closed eyes her mind conjured up an image of a Thieves' Guild shadowfoot bringing down a weapon on her which made Medouco jump and nearly squeak in fear. At the very least she gasped while Macarona put an arm around the poor Gorgon's shoulders to offer some comfort as the maid breathed deeply. "I-I know, b-but i-it was just so d-difficult. I-I c-can feel my heart racing at the thought of the consequences, Macarona."

"Try not to think about them," her angelic companion advised her. "It'll only make it worse than it already is."

"I-isn't it already that bad, Macarona?" the Gorgon asked even as she was calming herself slightly. "I-I mean, I-I know my family was able to get those things back and I-I'm s-safe from them, b-but what about back at the castle?"

"You haven't said anything yet and the arrangement I requested to be made was accomplished." Macarona smiled warmly while looking at Medouco with kindness. "Now you reside near my quarters, so I'm close by to protect you. At the same time, however, you're doing a much more efficient job as a warden by being nearby, ready to act at a moment's notice if I were to do anything too dangerous. That is, if I were to suddenly act out immediately against the Gentleman Devil or if he and his followers were to do the same against me. In this way you're a mediator, Medouco, despite the fact you're also close so I can ensure you're safe by making sure you're silent about what's going on as well." Sighing because she didn't like how that sounded since it made it seem like she was using Medouco, Macarona knew saying that was only going to make the poor Gorgon feel more upset. Nonetheless, it was still true even though she didn't like it that way. "It's tough, I know, being forced to follow something you don't agree with out of fear. Yet I guarantee you, Medouco, that I truly am thinking of your wellbeing. Even if you spoke up about it, there's no telling if something would happen in the future because anything gotten from it would only be covered for the short term, not a longer run. I'm doing my best to make sure this works smoothly without anything too serious being a major concern, though it'll only become harder for us both if complications arise to threaten us. Mr. Yagi's interrogation yesterday, for example, was certainly a risk, as was defending Albino and Hersilia from those guys. Yet I took the latter willingly because they needed help, and look where it got us." This time the allusion was to the Underground Railroad District and the Thieves' Guild that resided there. It also led to Yagi's interrogation of them because Satanick's spies were thrown off their trail. "So far nothing too awful has happened even though suspicions were raised, so we should be okay in the clear for now."

Medouco swallowed heavily. "I-I hope so…" she murmured timidly as Sullivan finally got off the phone, breathing deeply since he was a bit exhausted from having made the call to try and argue for his daughter's acceptance of him coming. Kurotsuno obviously wasn't too happy he persisted, and the two girls figured she'd be angry with him.

"Sorry about that, girls," he apologized to them for having directed his attention to another matter even though they didn't mind him calling his daughter. "I didn't mean to be on the phone for so long. Olivia's a tough cookie to crack, much less swallow. I don't mind though since I'm still her father, but I'll admit it's a shame to hear her telling me to get lost. I cannot do that, I'm afraid." Clenching his fists in determination, the demonic man steeled himself for what awaited him ahead at his daughter's home. "I will see Olivia; nothing shall stop me from getting to speak with my daughter."

"You're pretty confident about that, Sullivan," Macarona complimented him with a smile, not addressing him formally because he requested they drop the formalities when they met yesterday. "Though I thought her name was Kurotsuno, not Olivia. Is that a nickname of sorts she's been given somehow for whatever reason? Does she like it?"

"No, it's her real name, Macarona. Olivia and I were once humans, you see," Sullivan explained. "Only when she became a demon has she begun to act so hostile towards me, her own father. It's quite sad when you think of it."

"Don't fret, Mr. Sullivan," Medouco attempted to cheer him up. "I'm sure she has her reasons."

"Whatever they are, she hasn't told me them," the demonic man went on and sighed. Not wanting to ruin the tour of this district, Sullivan simply dropped the matter and decided to focus on what his guests thought of the district. "So, girls, how are you liking your first visit to the Magnus District? Has it lived up to any expectations you might've had of it?"

"U-um, my parents are from this district, by the way," the Gorgon reminded him.

"Ah, yes, I recall you mentioning something of the sort once. Their residence was somewhere west of the path we're on now if I'm remembering correctly," Sullivan uttered and held a hand up over to eyes to shield from the bright light from a lamppost lit up by a flame. Gazing over the horizon and turning to read the nearby sign for directions that could've confirmed what he was searching for, he merely shrugged a moment later. It was inconsequential, though he wanted to check if his sense of direction regarding that was correct to some extent. "Anyway, it's a lovely district in this city because of the individual estates and the landscapes that make up every acre and plot of land. Each one feels like a different region because the Gentleman Devil allows the aristocrats who live here to determine what their land shall be like. Everywhere you go you'll find all sorts of different biomes that clash with one another just as they go well together."

"Yes, I noted that so far and I find it very intriguing," Macarona said as she turned to gaze upon a tundra biome nearby that constituted the acres of a large mansion quite a distance away. From afar she could make out a barbeque brunch between the property owners and guests they must've invited over. Everybody there was dressed in fine clothes showing off their wealth and regal status. Even a few women were present, but the young angel could clearly make out their likely spouses emphasizing the details of their dresses and jewelry as denotations of wealth. It made her inwardly sigh, for she found such conduct to have been rather stuffy. "One thing I do want to point out, however, is that is doesn't seem like the aristocrats don't seem to spend much time in the castle town itself from what I've seen so far. I thought this district would've been closer to Nightrise Castle so they'd have access to the Gentleman Devil, but it appears not. Is that why Nightfall Castle is in this district so they can bring matters there to be addressed and delivered to the main castle?"

"In some places you'd find the aristocracy established in and around the foundation of a ruler's domain," the Gorgon explained as they were walking. "That way they are closer so they can lobby the rulers and other leaders as you've said, Macarona. It's much different in the Devil's Kingdom where upper classes can possess their own estates such as here in the Magnus District where said estates are formed by entire acres and plots of land. This underworld permits them that because they don't prefer to live near the middle and lower classes. Part of this is because they seek to avoid being burglarized as their estates are large enough to also house private militias of armed guards and mercenaries loyal to their employers. Servants do come in from the middle class and are allowed access, but their movements are observed closely by these mercenaries and they're never allowed out of their sight. The poor people of the lower classes are segregated out of this district since aristocrats claim they'd make this place unclean and filthy, plus they claim the poor would attempt to steal from them or murder them. It's primarily why they don't go out into Zlienderstrom and usually work from home, though they occasionally do head into town for business meetings—some do more often than others. Granted, there are separate estates in other worlds apart from settled areas as well that follow the same principles, but the Devil's Kingdom hosts the highest number of separate estates that are not close to settlements, but are still part of them."

"Mercenaries, eh?" the angelic girl commented as she became curious about that detail. "Why mercenaries? Wouldn't the local town guards suffice because they're enough? Surely there's enough of them to protect this district?"

"It's because the aristocrats don't want to waste money on paying for private town guards," Sullivan said.

"But then the same is true for the mercenaries, then," Macarona pointed out.

"Not exactly, Macarona," Medouco began to elaborate on that topic. "There are some town guards located in this district and they do have a basecamp here as well where barracks and an armory are located. However, they only patrol the roads; they'd demand more money to protect the estates, and each aristocrat would have to pay individually in order to have their own estates kept safe. The town guards are already being paid enough to patrol the general vicinity. Upper classes want to avoid wasting more financial resources on them and wish to keep some affairs private, so they search for the cheapest band of mercenaries available on the market and pay them just enough of a decent, if small, fee to remain loyal. They'll even have lodgings constructed for each mercenary band to ensure the mercenaries are there to stay permanently. These mercenaries are not common sellswords even though they sell their services to the highest bidder in exchange for low coin because even low wages can accumulate over time. Nor are they associated with any guilds as guilds would demand higher payments and additional benefits from the partnerships established with aristocrats."

"Though town guards are an extension of the military, correct?" the angel asked, bringing up what she heard about them yesterday. "If that's the case, they'd need as much funding just as the regular army would to operate."

"They get paid plenty as it is already," Sullivan responded as he talked about their wages. "The aristocrats do pay a heavy sum to the Department of Warfare headed by Yagi for the soldiers so they can have effective arms and armor. Even taxes the middle class pay offer a significant contribution to that effort. In times of war when the Devil's Kingdom is victorious, upper classes are allowed to be compensated for the payments they provide by taking their own shares of land and resources from the defeated party. They just don't want to pay any more than is absolutely necessary because they consider their own coffers too. Without enough money to pay off any debts and taxes unless the Gentleman Devil personally pardons them from it, aristocrats would be forced out of their estates which are then annexed by Satanick for other potential candidates who'll please him better. Yet he'll even seize their territories anyway if he finds somebody who'll prove more useful even if the current property owners are staunch supporters of him. It's quite a terrible problem when you think about it because this kind of circulation creates animosity towards him and greed for more in life." That made sense, and it was certainly what happened to Yarg Xof that made him operate in Zlienderstrom's Thieves' Guild.

"Yet without any funds, they're in no position to oppose Mr. Satanick or do much of anything against him," Macarona deduced from what she already knew about that predicament in addition to this clarification about the issue.

"Precisely, Macarona, that's the gist of this situation," Sullivan concurred with her assessment of the matter. "No money means no support, and no support means they can't fight back. As awful as it is, it's an ingenious system our Devil's come up with to prevent rebellions which are incorporated in the crime rate. That's partly why the crime rate is relatively low in spite of the common burglaries and assassinations that still run rampant in civilization. Satanick claims he'll stop both, but won't do anything about the murders because he can simply use them to place other demons who support him in positions where they can benefit so long as they serve him. He truly might not be the cause of many assassinations, though he'll keep using these all the same for that reason and also to claim the territory and resources from those who've been killed and distribute some of it to other followers. Thus he ensures loyalty from everyone within this underworld—at least the regions under his control, that is, and every single one except for Winter's Valley answers to Mr. Satanick. As corrupt as it is, it's truly a logical means of obtaining and achieving order over the subjects of this hell."

"I see," Macarona remarked as they started to enter a forest. "I suppose that does make sense because even a corrupt society must follow a bureaucratic procedure of running a government and the civilization ruled by its leaders."

"It's the only order that was ever able to circulate and function in the Devil's Kingdom," Sullivan concurred while they were continuing along the path when the trio heard what sounded like somebody sobbing and chewing on something to eat—perhaps comfort food of a sort the individual needed to feel better. "Hmm…why if I didn't know better, I'd say that's Shikabone up ahead," he remarked as he noticed another demon when they were getting closer. Raising an arm up to greet the demon they were encountering, Sullivan smiled cheerfully and waved to him. "Hey, hello there, Shikabone! I didn't expect to find you hear of all places. What brings you to the Magnus District on this fine day?"

Seated by a tree while eating a hamburger—the onions protruding from it might've been the cause of this guy's weeping—the demonic man clad in a black robe fitted with a gray ribbon beneath the color turned his head to direct his attention towards the other guy. A scythe rested against the tree, its blade in between two branches used as a makeshift rack to hold the weapon up. As they approached this new face, Macarona blinked in surprise at the deer skull that seemed to be the man's mask. Its horns were protruding out from his head through the hood of his robe, yet a couple tears had trickled down from the empty eye sockets. If the young angel had to guess, she'd say he was like a grim reaper. Maybe that was his occupation since she was familiar with the concept from learning about it in school, how each world had different kinds of morticians who handled work such as autopsies of the dead kind of like in her own world. "Oh, hi Mr. Sullivan!" the grim reaper also raised an arm and waved back amicably, making conversation from his seat by the tree. "I was just in the neighborhood doing work as usual. My lunch break already began not too long ago, so I thought I'd come to the usual spot where I have it. It's truly a peaceful spot, this forest; I don't have to face the usual ridicule from others."

"Yeah, I hear that and get it a lot myself," Sullivan chuckled as he stepped forward to introduce the girls in his company. "Ah, allow me to introduce you. Shikabone, this is Macarona, an angel from the Gray Garden who became a prisoner of our Devil due to being framed for murder. You might remember Medouco from the last time you met." Turning to the girls so he could continue the introduction, he held a hand up to present the other demon to them. "This is Shikabone, one of our resident grim reapers. He's called on often to take the souls of the departed and sign paperwork to have the cadavers delivered to the cemeteries around Zlienderstrom and the rest of this region. Don't let his scary form frighten you; he's actually a great guy and one of my closest friends." Stepping back, he let Shikabone come forward so the grim reaper could analyze the girls and speak with them after he stood up from his seat while continuing to eat.

"Oh, yes, I do remember you, Medouco. Why the last time we met was when your boss killed that maid."

His comment on their last encounter surprised the young angel and sent shivers down the Gorgon's spine. "Y-yes, t-that was a truly horrible way to go. I-I'd rather not remember the details." Considering how far Satanick might've gone with that particular murder, Macarona thought it best she not comment on it to avoid dredging up scary memories for the poor maid. What had happened obviously frightened her badly, and maybe it was a repeat offense on Satanick's part that took place enough times to have had the effect of subduing his servants fearfully, hence why it was dropped.

"O-oh, my apologies, Medouco, I didn't mean to scare you," the grim reaper hastily apologized, feeling he'd done something wrong by accident. "I'll not speak of it if it'll make you feel better." Turning to the angel afterwards, Shikabone stepped over to her and began sauntering around Macarona to examine her. "Hmm…an angel eh? Been a while since I've spotted one and spoken with one either. Usually they tend to deal with the nobility and corporate CEOs. You said she was from the Gray Garden and came here as a prisoner, right, Sullivan?" Receiving a nod in response, the demonic man somehow expressed a sad expression with the mask as he remarked on the unfortunate circumstances. "My, what a shame. To be taken from her home world all because she was—what was the problem, again? Being framed for murder?" Again he garnered another nod, this time from the angel herself. "Heavens above, you must be quite unlucky to have found yourself somehow involved with such a serious crime, especially one affecting two worlds. I do not mean any offence, of course; it's just that anything of the sort that happens to anyone is quite tragic and wrong."

"It's alright, Mr. Shikabone, I get that quite a bit it seems even though I haven't been here for too long. I've spent quite a bit of time recovering from the wound your Devil dealt to me when he framed me for Mr. Daimonji's death," Macarona explained as she briefly went over the details to clarify how it happened. "I'm a friend of his wife and he'd come to my world demanding her back, but she wouldn't return. She's been staying with me in the Gray Garden."

"Wow, you're that close to the royal family in this town, eh?" Shikabone inquired rhetorically, putting a bent finger to the chin of his mask—then again, perhaps it was his face—while considering the ramifications of that relation. "Guess you must be pretty well-known to them in that regard. Oh, and you don't have to refer to me so formally."

"Sure, alright, Shikabone," the young angel said with a smile when responding to his request.

"Still, that may explain why his corpse was brought in—Daimonji's, I mean," the grim reaper continued as he progressed onwards to the very matter they were now discussing. "I'll admit it was a bit odd when subordinates of Mr. Satanick showed up demanding a cremation for today without specifying how he was killed. They mentioned a girlfriend of his was planning on showing up to see his body sometime." Macarona blinked at the reference to Cosmea; that most likely must've been who Shikabone was alluding to as both Daimonji and Satanick mentioned her. And yet Macarona still hadn't heard much about this other angel or even asked about her; she hadn't even seen another angel in this world yet apart from a few that visited her world on occasions when pertaining to commercial ties and the War of Three Suns. "You said you've been framed for Daimonji's death, Macarona. If I may, might I know who ended his life for clarification?"

"It was Mr. Satanick," the angel replied honestly, her response garnering a shudder from the grim reaper.

"The Gentleman Devil, I see…" Shikabone stated nervously, not liking the direction this conversation was going in. "Yes, I imagine it'd be something he'd do if he was the sort of individual with surreptitious means of getting what he wants. I wouldn't know really other than what I can speculate of. He's ordered for a lot of bodies to be surreptitiously cremated in the past, so I don't believe it'd be unreal for him to order the deaths of anyone who displeases him. I'm not a member of the monarchial government, after all, so I really can't say or be too sure. Even so, I could probably say it might be a possible case, what with the way society's like, how it's so corrupt that women are not allowed to have any power or wealth while those who please others in some way can gain access to wealth and power providing they aren't women. Most men really are the worst in this underworld, though I'm one of the few who is not like them."

"You certainly do give the impression of being a nice man," Macarona complimented him with a smile.

"Thanks, Macarona; you know you're a nice girl too like Albino and Hersilia," Shikabone smiled back and chuckled amiably. "Usually I'm not treated so well by others. A lot of men and women alike often insult me and hurt me by throwing things at me whenever I'm trying to do my job. I have work to do, I must do my job in order to pay my employees and put food on the table for myself. I understand how they feel about their loved ones dying, but truly it's horrible how I'm viewed with disgust and hatred simply for being a grim reaper who has to take those loved ones away when they're deceased. Well, in most cases in this hell the people usually fight over how to settle inheritance cases in those situations. Legitimate heirs and illegitimate ones, plus women too, all conflict with one another over who gets what following the passing of their loved ones. It's why reading a will in the Devil's Kingdom gets so ugly really quickly."

"That may be a reason for their desire to keep their deceased loved ones with them longer," Macarona theorized.

"I wouldn't exactly refer to the deceased as their loved ones," Sullivan commented. "As rude as it is, there's hardly any love between many families and friends in the Devil's Kingdom. Most of them only care about wealth and power, the bottom line of society that drives good man bad by instilling the corruption of massive greed in their lives."

"True, that's basically the fundamental gist of it," the grim reaper agreed with a nod prior to posing an inquiry to the other demonic man concerning his agenda for today. "So, Sullivan, what brings you here today on your daughter's estate? Coming back from meeting with other aristocrats and thought you'd stop by to say hello? I doubt she'd allow you any further on the property if she were to discover your arrival. You do realize she despises you, right? No offense."

"None taken, my friend," the other man replied cheerfully, understanding Shikabone didn't mean to come across as rude or mean in his concern for him. "I know she has her issues with me, but I can't give up since she's all I've got. Olivia's my daughter and as her father it's my responsibility to do everything I can to protect her and make her happy." He smiled, aware Kurotsuno was probably going to kill him as she had made that threat clear multiple times. Nonetheless Sullivan wasn't deterred, nor did he fear the consequences because it was worth it to see his daughter. "If you'd like me to say hello and tell Olivia you were in the area, I can; she'd probably come see you too, Shikabone."

"I appreciate the offer, Sullivan, and thank you," Shikabone responded with a smile, thankful for the gesture. "Though I'm afraid I'd have to decline on meeting with her today since I've still got work to do." Finishing his sandwich, the grim reaper stepped back to his scythe and retrieved it from the tree. Brushing off any insects or dirt and leaves that might've accrued on it while he was eating there, he turned back to the group with a shudder and began speaking in a nervous tone of voice. "B-besides, Hanten's there. I-I just know lingering here means she could show up at any moment. She's truly the worst, you know? Just like her father and older brother, that one, but significantly worse than both of them combined. I don't know how she's managed to be so powerful, but I'd rather not stick around to find out from her."

"I understand," Sullivan said as the other demonic man starting spinning his scythe around in front of him.

"Thank you, my friend," the grim reaper replied with a wave of his hand before gradually converting into an inky black shadow with only the deer skull as its head so he could float away like a kind of wraith. "Have a good day!"

"Thank you, you too, Shikabone!" Macarona replied with a smile as they watched him depart. "It was a pleasure meeting you!" Turning to wave as he left while receiving a similar response from him, the young angel then directed her attention back to Sullivan as the trio continued along their path. "Well, he was certainly a nice man like you, Sullivan."

"He sure is, not at all like many of the other men you'd encounter in the Devil's Kingdom," the demonic man remarked as he responded to her. "Don't let that remark about Hanten scare you either. Granted, she's quite cruel when she wants to be merciless and sadistic towards others, but she's still a fine girl all the same. In fact, I surprisingly find her more pleasant to deal with than her father and older brother even if she's worse than they are. Anten's a jerk sure, but he's so callous hardly anybody wants to be in his company. So is Gyakuten, their father, since he usually kicks my ass all the time even though I attempt to fight back. Hanten must get the occasional nicety from her mother, Chishibuki; she's also nice to interact with whenever I meet with her—that is, whenever I have to go to the hospital because of her husband. She works as a nurse there in pretty much the same kind of capacity Medouco serves as a maid. Chishibuki comprehends plenty of complex medical fields and is usually the nurse who helps me get better as an apology for what her husband does to me. I don't know how she manages to get along with Gyakuten as she was never on good terms with Yagi."

"Were she and Mr. Yagi together for a while?" the angelic girl inquired out of curiosity, believing the two of those demons were once married and had gotten a divorce. It could've explained why Chishibuki was with Gyakuten.

"Pretty much, though she left him; they never got along and eventually she filed a divorce," Medouco stated to explain the situation. "Since she preferred Mr. Gyakuten over him, Mr. Yagi let him have her so he could deal with her. The matter of her new husband didn't bother him one bit, and he was glad she wasn't around anymore after that."

"A standard norm of the Devil's Kingdom, I take it?" Macarona asked rhetorically.

Sullivan nodded. "Pretty much, aside from the men getting rid of their wives via other cruel means." He sighed, stretching his arms in the air and resting them behind his head. "Still, it doesn't really concern me all that much as it's not my business, so I'll not pry into their affairs any longer or even discuss them without their permission. Besides, we've got that visit to my daughter's today and we're nearing Moonshadow Manor, the where place she and her friends live. I hope you're looking forward to meeting Olivia and her friends, Macarona; I'm sure they'd welcome you with open arms."

Macarona smiled. "Indeed, I truly do wish to meet more demons from the Devil's Kingdom."

…

It hadn't been an entirely pleasant experience at first. She had known all about the Devil's Kingdom from Lil before experiencing it herself firsthand. She met a few of its people in Zlienderstrom, and while some of them were absolutely cruel from what she'd witnessed and became involved in regarding Hersilia and Albino, there were others like those girls who didn't fit the molding of what society turned most demons here into. That included guys like Sullivan, Glasses, and Shikabone. Even Kiku was a helpful individual to the young angel. The Thieves' Guild of Zlienderstrom under its ringleader father figure, Yarg Xof, presented other examples of such upstanding citizens struggling to survive in an underworld where only men could profit off of the way things were and achieve great power and wealth. Macarona knew and discovered all of this, familiarizing herself with this hell based on the sample size that was Zlienderstrom. It was an entirely corrupt society, though at least the aforementioned examples and the region of Winter's Valley where the Queen resided from what she heard were good role models of what the Devil's Kingdom should've aspired to become.

This was a patriarchal civilization, one in which men dominated civilization. They were usually in control even though there were few examples of men treating women nicely as the stark contrast to the mistreatment women were usually subjected to by men. It was the norm, a mor constructed and developed over time throughout the centuries.

Seated here on a comfortable sofa in between Sullivan and Medouco, however, gave Macarona the chance to gaze upon a somewhat disturbing contradiction that clashed with that very mor. Across from them sat two other girls drinking their own cups of coffee which one of them made. One of them had deep red eyes and short gray hair with a sweater matching that very color under a green coat the same color as a ribbon she wore for a belt. Her skirt and socks were gray too just as her sweater and hair were, plus her wings, curly tail, and curly shaped horns were black. Next to her sat the other girl, one with gray hair too that was straight and long with bangs over her eyes. Unlike her friend who was garbed in more casual attire, this girl was attired in a black vest and tie she wore over a white collared shirt and with a black pleated skirt. In addition were her black boots over thick high socks. The sclera of her eyes was also black even though her eyes were yellow. The most unique part about this demon was her mismatching horns: one plain gray horn with three black stripes; the other being a geometrical shape of some sort colored black with white circles on it. Together these two came across as ordinary demons, something Macarona knew well enough and didn't discriminate against them for.

She was already familiar with Hanten, the former of the two, from Sullivan, Albino, and Hersilia. They had described her as being cruel and sinister, a sadistically malevolent individual who took pleasure in bullying others for fun. Hanten certainly did act that way towards Medouco before when they first met outside Moonshadow Manor, their first official introduction to her being Hanten noticing how terrified the poor Gorgon was and attempting to frighten her more with threats of physical, emotional, and psychologically harm. Had Macarona not stood in her way after checking if Sullivan was alright, the demonic maid would've been in serious danger. Thankfully Hanten stopped because she did become slightly interested in the angel and sought to know more about her—perhaps so she could possibly locate a weakness in Macarona she could exploit by using it to break the angelic girl as she tried to do with Medouco. Even so, the demonic girl had shown a pretty decent amount of self-restraint in her attitude and behavior towards their guests, so Macarona and Medouco were grateful she decided to let them off the hook…for now, unless she wanted to hurt them.

Kurotsuno on the other hand…she was a different matter entirely. Macarona was also familiar with her from what everyone said, how she despised her father for some unclear reason and was once a human girl named Olivia. Sullivan still referred to her by that name. Based on her demeanor now and how she was dressed, Macarona assumed she was an intelligently prestigious girl. Now Kurotsuno was exhibiting the behavior of a proper lady. Before, however…that was a sight that made even her shudder in fearful concern for Sullivan's safety. The rage Kurotsuno displayed then towards him was cold and merciless, not at all sadistic like Hanten could've been. At first she'd simply thrown a large kitchen sink at him, demanding he go away for good and that if he persisted she'd make him depart in a body bag. Undaunted by her threat, Sullivan did indeed persist in his attempt to see his daughter and talk to her, thus enraging the demonic girl further. She had leapt from the window she was in and landed gracefully onto the ground, sharpening her nails as black feathery wings outstretched while a darkened spear materialized out of nowhere to rest in Kurotsuno's hand. Pure anger and hatred radiated from her as she had slowly approached Sullivan with the intent to kill him as her threat escalated. Although Macarona rushed to get between them, she felt even she probably wouldn't have been able to prevent Kurotsuno from murdering her father. Thankfully Hanten managed to successfully quell her anger—but just barely.

It was a rather uncomfortable silence at the moment since hardly anybody was speaking. Sullivan was merely sitting there with a cheerful smile on his face because he was glad to have finally been welcomed into his daughter's quaint abode. He wasn't allowed to say a word so Kurotsuno could ignore his presence, but he was happy all the same regardless of whether the two of them spoke to one another or not. Their quiet presence towards each other was rather tranquil despite the fact one hated the other who still loved her. He was calm and serene like her, but she'd become a monster towards him if he ever so much as infringed any further into her presence by speaking up to make himself known. Sullivan merely cast glances at her on occasion when his eyes weren't on the fire, enjoying their time together even if his daughter didn't. Still, she wasn't lunging at his throat to rip it out for the time being, so it was slightly peaceful.

As for Medouco, she was shivering timidly in her seat, trying to ignore sadistic glares from Hanten.

To their left in the living room they were all seated in was the fireplace that was currently on because Hanten threw a couple logs on before lighting a match to set them ablaze. The heat was comforting even if the social interaction wasn't for the moment, though the three guests took solace in the fact they were even being entertained as guests. Around the room was an array of various other furniture like bookshelves and display cases with relics in them, and decorations such as: posters, tapestries, portraits, and candelabras. On the other side of the room was a rectangular dining table with five seats arrayed around it: two on either side with one at the head of the table. Macarona and Medouco supposed that was Kurotsuno's seat since she was the head of this house, thereby making her in charge of the group boarding with her. In three of those seats were the other three occupants around the table with a counter on which coffee rested behind it.

One of them wore a biking helmet and shorts with black and red striped leggings and black boots. She also wore a short sleeved tan collared shirt attached to black suspender straps connecting to her shorts and a pink tie. Under her collared shirt was a striped shirt the same colors as her leggings. She was Met, a ghostly servant of both Kurotsuno and Hanten who liked to kill people and was absolutely irritating in her spontaneous way of positive thought. Whereas Hanten seemed to show self-restraint, Met had to be reined in by her and the others from time to time as far as what one of the other occupants had said. Besides her love of murder, the ghost girl had a fascination with witches and bikes—specifically motor bikes as she owned one the guests caught sight of outside when they saw her polishing the vehicle. Macarona was somewhat familiar with motor bikes from a short history lesson on vehicles in school, yet she'd never seen one before just as she'd never seen cars like the ones in this world. The bike felt more out of place than the cars because it appeared to be a more technologically advanced mode of transportation, but that was her opinion of the rather unimportant matter.

Another of the three was Reina, a fox youkai with peachy skin and a fox mask that covered her face. White hair was done up in a high ponytail, and she also bore a long white fox tail. Her nails were red which went well with her dark pink kimono that had a cherry blossom pattern on the end of each sleeve. Her hakama was a much darker shade with a pattern resembling a plum branch in addition to pink clouds and blossoms. She also wore white tabi on her feet that also bore a pair of brown geta. In one hand was a black folding fan she was using to fan herself while playing a game with the third remaining occupant of the house and taunting her about being bad at Othello, yet like Kurotsuno she too was a gracefully serene individual even if Reina did tease certain individuals with some slightly mean comments about them.

This third occupant was Bis, a dog demon who absolutely despised being called a dog and kept claiming she wasn't one, but stated she was actually a jackal demon. The guests abided by her request, though apparently Met did not which often resulted in Bis' ire towards her because the ghost constantly teased her about it. She wasn't now, but at some point it was expected she would. The specific breed of dog demon Bis was couldn't be determined—perhaps she truly was a jackal demon—but her head bore a nice coat of black hair with the ears bearing curled blue hair with rid ribbons in it on the ends, plus a silver piercing was in her right ear. Attired in a black and white sailor uniform with a red bow near the collar, Bis' outfit reminded Macarona on her own which she washed after getting back to Nightrise Castle yesterday. Black boots and white socks adorned her feet, and her eyes were yellow. Resting against the table beside her was a brown staff decorated with a red ribbon near the top. The feeling of her presence had quite a very nice desert-like sense to it.

As it was made apparent by Reina in a casual remark, Bis was terrible at playing Othello and other games too. It reminded Macarona of how Etihw and Kcalb would've played games sometimes in which the Goddess would have usually won. However, the Devil of her world was getting better at those and was starting to secure frequent victories against her whenever they played. Of course, in actuality he did indeed win more games than her as she cheated often. Seeing Reina and Bis play with the latter losing only made Macarona hope Bis would start to win games too; she had expressed that hope to the dog—jackal—demon when the fox youkai first made that remark about Bis losing. This cheered the poor girl up as she was thankful to have had a supporter of sorts to wish her good luck in their games.

Since the silence was getting rather deafening and uncomfortable in its quiet way, the young angel believed it would've been okay for her and Medouco to talk. Sullivan still wasn't allowed to, but he'd let the girls have the floor. "So…" Macarona began uneasily, unsure of what she could say. Hanten said before they were getting a big lunch all prepared for another guest—Bis' father, Sibuna, whom Macarona had yet to meet or hear about—but that they were going to have a lot of food prepared because Met usually overcooked in the sense that she made too much food while Bis only prepared normal sized meals for herself and the others. Kurotsuno also knew how to cook, though she preferred baking stuff like chocolates for herself—most of which were OCHO chocolates, her favorite brand of chocolates. A notion Sullivan attempted to implement several times in the past was bringing over OCHO chocolates in the hopes of getting accepted by his daughter who'd begin to love him as her father again. Unfortunately, Kurotsuno simply beat the shit out of him for even holding it to begin with before kicking him off the property and taking the chocolate treats.

Hanten chuckled mischievously while smirking. "So…?" she parroted that word in the form of a question.

"So…" the angel repeated, thinking of something to say to at least break the tense silence. "When's lunch?"

"In a little bit," Bis responded from the table as she turned to look back. When she did, Reina smashed Met's head into the table because the ghost was thinking of sabotaging Othello just to make Bis lose. This somehow didn't bother the dog—jackal—demon for she had apparently known their ghostly housemate thought of pranks like that. "My father called not too long ago before you arrived saying he'd be here soon in about forty five minutes. That was twenty minutes prior to your arrival and it's only been about another twenty since the three of you showed up on our doorstep." Turning back to focus on their game, she flashed a glance and a nod of appreciation at Reina for stopping the ghost.

Hanten just chuckled again. "Hah, you're trying to make conversation and that's the best you can say?"

"Well, it's that to break the silence or just let it droll on for the next few minutes until lunch is ready," Macarona said to clarify that bit for the demonic girl. "And besides, you did say we would be speaking at greater length during lunch." Shutting her eyes and taking a sip of her black coffee, the angel put forth a counterpoint. "If we're not doing anything now besides sitting quietly by the fire, we might as well find something to do to occupy the time until then."

"Oh, you want a little more action when being entertained, eh?" the demonic girl inquired rhetorically.

"Not in the sense you're thinking of, but yes, a little conversation does count when we're doing nothing," the angel countered again, politely making her point even if Hanten might've come across as a bit blunt in her own reply. Hearing the beep of the ovens in the kitchen, she turned her head to briefly glance at the source of this noise as Hanten stood up and walked over to the table to collect Met and Bis since the game of Othello was over. "It's ready now?"

Reina nodded, standing up to pull down some chairs from a short stack of them to place them around the dining table. "It would seem so, yes," she responded as they heard the doorbell ring. "Kurotsuno, would you get that, please?"

"Indeed, anything to get out of _his_ presence for but even a few moments," Kurotsuno said, cold emphasis on the allusion to her father since she obviously was glad and thankful to have found an opportunity to be away from him. "That must be Mr. Sibuna now. I shall go let him in. Macarona and Medouco, if you two would care, help Reina, please?"

Macarona nodded as she and the demonic maid stood up from the couch they were seated on. "Sure, alright."

"Thank you," the demonic girl stated as she was leaving, though caught sight of her father standing as well. Glaring at him in rage, she bore her teeth at him in a snarling tone. " _You move, you die_ ," she threatened him severely. Reina and the other two girls would've spoken up about her reaction, how it would've been fine for Sullivan to help. However, the demonic man already seemed to have that covered by pointing at himself and then directing his finger towards the kitchen as a gesture informing his daughter he was going to help the girls inside get lunch ready. Though Kurotsuno would've told him otherwise, he was already on his way there immediately after offering his aid via finger gestures. Believing it would've been better for somebody she trusted to have kept an eye on him to ensure he wouldn't dare do anything stupid against her by causing some sort of trouble, the young girl simply shut her eyes and let him be. "I'll be right back," she murmured in a calm voice this time, sauntering out into the nearby hall to head into the foyer.

"Certainly, the food will probably be coming out once you've returned," the fox youkai responded, handing Macarona a chair as Medouco took another one from the stack. As there were going to be nine individuals present, they needed that many chairs. Fortunately, there was enough room around the table for that many. "Again, as before, I must apologize for our hostess' rude behavior towards her father and any mistrust she may show you due to your association with him. Kurotsuno is hardly the type to place her trust in somebody she believes will side with him. I hope the two of you aren't too concerned or are offended by her lack of manners regarding this rather touchy, yet bothersome subject."

"Oh, no, it's quite alright, Reina," Macarona commented with an understanding smile, setting the chair down before accepting another from the youkai. "I don't mind it at all, actually. I've been through worse several times before, and I know how to handle such situations whether there are any different distinctions between the conflicts or not. If anything, this is only an occasional occurrence of something pertaining to stuff I've somehow found myself involved in."

"Well, Kurotsuno is usually pretty sharp towards others and is a bit of a lone wolf figure. She'll not produce tensions unless faced with an issue that truly irritates her, or if she seeks to acquire some of that OCHO chocolate she so greatly desires," Reina explained briefly as she handed the Gorgon the last of the four chairs required prior to opening a drawer in the cabinet near them to collect a stack of plates, napkins, and silverware for the meal. "We may live together as friends of a sort who know one another pretty well, though we're not without conflict every once in a while on occasion."

"It must be difficult living together with so many other individuals that you could get into heated disagreements sometimes," Medouco commented rather absentmindedly until she realized that must've been a stupid remark on her part. "N-not that there's anything w-wrong with that, I-I mean. I-It only just happens, u-um, u-uh, occasionally, right?"

"There is nothing to be ashamed of in making such an observation, Medouco," the fox youkai stated to calm her down since she didn't mind it, but rather acknowledged the validity of that statement. "Strife is bound to occur within households of several individuals. They may not always get along, and sometimes it can escalate quickly. Take Met for example; she usually does something stupid that often gets her literally ripped to pieces as everyone slaughters her. It's impossible to kill a ghost, true, but harming them, though—that is certainly possible. Usually they don't have corporeal forms and can only be harmed by magic; Met has a corporeal form, and she does regenerate whenever she's ripped up or smashed with something that mutilates her body. The girl practically sweats blood, and she can still communicate orally even if her head were decapitated—unless her mouth gets too smashed up for her to say anything or babble in an incoherent manner of speech. Of course, such conduct against her is a standard procedure here, really; why, if you've found yourself offended by her in some way, you may feel free to literally tear her apart. She'll reconstitute eventually."

"Um, thanks," Macarona sounded reluctant—as she rightfully was—to do so, "though I think I'll pass."

Reina shrugged. "Suit yourself, Macarona. Whether you perform the deed or not doesn't mean we won't."

"C-could you p-please not do it?" the Gorgon asked nicely, though not without a tinge of fear in her voice. "I-I don't want to feel sick to my stomach after seeing s-so much b-blood, especially during a meal. I-it sounds horrible."

"I'll not deny the uncouth nature of such a brusquely callous act, one that is rather malicious in nature even if whatever Met says or does warrants it because of her stupidity," Reina concurred with her despite still supporting the notion. "Granted, Met may be reliable at times, but there are occasions that occur only too often when she deserves it. Believe me, girls, there is nothing wrong with it from our perspective even if you both disagree and see it otherwise. It's only natural, after all, for we are demons; it is within our nature to adhere to such conduct even against one another. However, that doesn't mean we can't be cordial with each other every now and then until it reaches a point where we won't have to conflict in opposition anymore due to a matter of pure trust and friendship. Only very few garnered mine."

"You make it sound like everybody's a potential enemy until they've proven otherwise," Macarona noted.

"True, I shan't deny that since it was part of my training," the youkai explained. "I may look young, though I am far older than you might believe and I'm in service to Lady Heller of the Youkai Kingdom. It is on her orders that I am to be permanently situated in this region as a full citizen of Zlienderstrom so that I can have access to the Department of International and National Diplomatic Affairs. Yet I was only recommended to the position by her with her father's consent. Now that I am here, my duties as a diplomatic representative of the Youkai Kingdom are to ensure any and all interests of youkai civilization are upheld by the Devil's Kingdom and negotiate with the department whenever it is necessary. Although negotiations have made some progress, it is the condition for Lord Gokuen to step down and put a male heir on the throne that is disrupting negotiations by stalling them; it is the only obstruction hindering our progress."

"Yes, I heard about that from Glasses. He mentioned the same thing you're talking about," the angel replied.

"I see, but even he is unaware of the commotion these negotiations are causing. At first there was widespread support throughout our entire lands for the idea of seceding from this underworld to become our own world. Then the issues that came with that notion became a problem. As our own world, we'd likely need a deity to oppose us. Also, there's the relative size of our kingdom which may not really constitute a world, but rather a region much like others such as the Crawling Insect Kingdom which is still a region in of itself within this hell. The space of geography hasn't always been a strong point as far as how much territory we have which is a major concern. However, the fact negotiations continue to stall at this point the Gentleman Devil is repeatedly hammering in have caused some to give up. They fear we'll never become our own world and that dire consequences for not successfully overcoming this hurdle may be in store for us down the road. It's possible Satanick may just demand we stand down by immediately sending his army in, choosing to subjugate us by force and putting somebody else on the throne instead who'll be more loyal to him. That is a risk he may or may not take considering how Lord Gokuen is stronger than him, but even our lord may step down to protect the lives of his people if a civil war threatens us on our doorstep. Very few regions of their own have become full worlds, however, in spite of such difficulties. The Tosatsu Kingdom was once a region of this underworld and the rest of this entire world, though was allowed to secede peacefully because the Gentleman Devil is fond of rabbits. I've heard he only requested that he be allowed to freely visit every so often to pet the rabbits there. Truly a rather strange condition."

"Maybe," the young angel murmured, intrigued by how hard the Youkai Kingdom fought for independence.

"In any case, the royal court of the Youkai Kingdom has received various reactions to the news such as my aforementioned mention of surrender to Satanick's policies. They realize that, although he is a terrible Devil, civilization does still possess some presence of order, however corrupt it is," Reina went on in her explanation of the problems her home kingdom faced in the negotiations. "Others have expressed different concerns. Some still believe in the freedom we'll receive and support Lady Heller in her endeavors to secure the rights and freedoms for becoming an independent world. There are also those who've placed their faith in Lord Gokuen; he too supports his daughter's endeavors even though he does support the notion of having a male heir. Yet his patriotism towards his people is strong, so he'll likely annul that belief of his in favor for letting his people have what they want. Rumors suggest he'll be stepping down from public life in addition to leaving office, though I cannot say what exactly he'll be doing. Perhaps he'll locate a suitable location at which to reside within our fair kingdom, or he may just leave one day. Others have left due to negotiations which isn't difficult to comprehend; they dislike how they're a minority in the Devil's Kingdom, yet are unsatisfied with our attempts to successfully accomplish what we've been trying so hard to attain. That's why they've departed, but an assortment of other motives could be valid as well; for example, some found life in the Youkai Kingdom unfulfilling and sought their fortunes and lifestyles elsewhere. It doesn't exactly help the kingdom when our population is rather low."

"But they'll gradually begin to return once negotiations are concluded successfully, right?" Macarona asked.

"Hopefully they do," the fox youkai remarked as the food started coming out with Bis and Sullivan setting several bowls on the table while Hanten and Met placed smaller dishes on the table too. Respectively, both were the main course and side dishes for everyone to choose from. "Now then," Reina remarked as she went towards the head of the table, holding her fan like a baton to direct everyone towards where they'd be seated. "On my left from where I am looking, the seats will be for: Mr. Sullivan; Bis' father, Mr. Sibuna; Bis herself, and Hanten. To my right shall be: Met; Macarona; Medouco; and I. This order goes from down there at the other end of the table to the one I'm at. As this final seat at the head of the table is Kurotsuno's because she's the head of this household, she'll be claiming it for herself." Seating herself and gesturing for the others to take their seats as well, the group heard dialogue between two demons who were already on their way here. "By the way, just for clarification for our guests, Hanten and I usually take the two chairs up by Kurotsuno because she's her closest friend and I'm present courtesy of my duties to the Youkai Kingdom. As her father is a member of the Department of International and National Diplomatic Affairs, I'm to have access to someone who has a connection to the department—even if her connection isn't well-liked by her. Still, it's quite necessary."

With her instructions and elaboration complete, she quieted herself as the talking from the corridor gradually became louder due to the speakers approaching the room. As they entered, Bis raised a hand to direct her father over towards her since he was sitting next to her. Observing the demonic man enter, Macarona made note of his appearance and how it was quite like that of Bis' appearance. His head was very much like Bis' with the pointy ears and hairstyle, though his hair was gray with golden ends at the bottom. Sibuna's choice of attire was a simple black business suit that was pretty much normal business attire. The man didn't open his eyes, merely sniffing the air briefly to discern Bis' scent amongst the other people present. When he sat down, the young angel noticed his golden neck and marveled at it in dignified awe since the color looked impressive. "…so, as I was saying, Miss Kurotsuno, I'll not be in the area for too long. I'm only here to conduct business concerning an affair of the Crown as Her Majesty ordered. My survey shouldn't take too long as I'm required to return right away as soon as my business has concluded. I do appreciate the lunch."

"It is no trouble to us, Mr. Sibuna," Kurotsuno replied. "We are always open to welcome certain guests."

Raising a hand up to pat Bis on the head, Sibuna still didn't open his eyes. Setting the briefcase he had with him down on the side, the dog—jackal—demon sniffed the air again prior to addressing the young demon again. "I see your own father has finally gained admittance into your abode. Bis has mentioned your hatred of him a few times in her letters. I suppose affairs between the two of you are getting better, or there is another reason for his presence here entirely even if you disapprove of him being present. Perhaps it might have to Miss Reina and her kingdom's plight; I do recall he was in a department negotiating with the Youkai Kingdom if memory serves, but that matter itself is known to the Crown." His second allusion to a crown in that manner made it seem like he was referring to the top royal dynasty that presided over all underworlds, that of Queen GriRea. That first reference to it obviously meant it was since he outright claimed to be here on business under orders from her, so Macarona could easily deduce he was a subordinate of hers. "Though enough about my speculation since I'm sure you'd rather not speak of him. How is my daughter doing? She has been well, I take it?"

"She is doing fine and is getting good grades in school. Reina does tutor her despite the fact she does tease your daughter about some things. Still, the two of them do get along and I believe Bis has already related such facts to you," Kurotsuno explained in response to his inquiry before directing a critically cold glare of intense hatred at her father. "And yes, there is another reason why _he_ is present despite _him_ being absolutely unwelcome in my humble abode. I do not tolerate having mercenaries or town guards on my property because they're brash brutes, but _he's_ the worst of them even if _he_ can't even fight. _He's_ such a disgrace of a pathetic man, and as such I refuse to acknowledge _him_ as _my_ father." The way she spoke of her own father like that only depressed Sullivan as tears appeared in his eyes while he looked down in shame. He enjoyed being with his daughter and tolerated such bad remarks from her about it, but they still did hurt. Macarona thought it was a bad idea for him to come until his daughter would make peace with him, but kept silent.

"Aw, you made him cry!" Met finally spoke up in what appeared to have been a while. Macarona never heard her speak and supposed Met was a quiet individual even if her actions and what she liked could've been considered loud and obnoxious—not to mention plain sadistic and cruel. However, the real reason was because earlier today before Sullivan arrived with Macarona and Medouco, Met had said something completely stupid and offensively outrageous. As punishment, Hanten tore her lower jaw right off which the ghost girl was covering up with her helmet—besides keeping the helmet on to prevent others from seeing what else Hanten had done to her. Now that she reconstituted herself, Met could finally speak clearly, much to the irritation of her house guests and the lady of the house who wished she'd shut up. "Kuro, that was real mean of you! Your father's such a nice birdie! How dare you make a birdie cry!" Slamming her hands down on the table, she stood up abruptly and pointed an accusatory finger at Kurotsuno. "Big meanie birdie killer!"

"Hanten…" Kurotsuno addressed one of her other housemates while taking a sip of her coffee and setting some pasta on her plate, expecting Hanten would've gladly done the deed just as she'd done before when Met was annoying.

"On it…" the other girl replied and stood up with a Morgenstern in one hand as she casually sauntered over to the other end of the table where Met sat. Seizing the ghost's collar in one hand, she dragged the ghost out into another corridor so none of the guests would see what she was about to do. Yet they heard it just the same when the sounds of a sickening crack and crunch of bones with a grotesque squish echoed from the hall. Seconds later they heard another sickening squish as if something was being ripped off. Everyone except for Macarona and Medouco seemed unperturbed by the noise from out there. The young angel and her Gorgon companion both winced, feeling as if they were starting to lose their appetite because of what just happened that they didn't see. Perhaps it was for the best. Eventually, a couple minutes went by as everyone including them began to eat—Macarona and Medouco hesitated at first due to what they heard—when Hanten and Met walked right back in. "Done and done, taken care of," Hanten stated with a smile as the others glanced at her handiwork. The helmet was still on, though the weapon she used was sticking out of it which was gross, but necessary to send Met a message to shut up. Blood was seeping out from the bottom where her neck was, and presumably the demonic girl ripped the ghost's lower jaw—and perhaps the upper one this time too—off as well.

Macarona and Medouco couldn't help but wince, and the angel placed a hand on the latter's shoulder to offer some comfort so the maid didn't vomit then and there. She'd go with her to a bathroom to comfort her as Medouco would've thrown up in there due to the somewhat gory sight before them that now sat down nonchalantly at the table. "Um," the angelic girl inquired, "was that really necessary—especially before lunch? You do realize that's gross?"

Hanten shrugged. "Eh, who gives a shit? Besides, it's Met we're talking about here. I just shut her up again."

"Your housemates are as lively and obnoxious as ever, it seems," Sibuna commented about them.

"Irritatingly so," their hostess agreed with his accurate assessment.

"Oh stop, that's harsh, Kurotsuno," Hanten chuckled as everyone was picking which pasta dish they were having. They had a choice of: stuffed shells, manicotti, ziti, ravioli, and lasagna. For their sides, there were salads which consisted of either: vegetables, fruit, or both. Smirking at the lady of the house, she flashed the young demon a slightly sarcastic glance as she continued speaking. "I took care of it, didn't I—better than before, actually, but not too much because we've got guests. We should be setting a good example by making a good first impression, right? You would want us to please them rather than offend them by going a tad too far than we normally do, correct? Besides, it's Met you're both referring to here; girl's as stupidly irritating as it gets, and she practically wrote the definition for that notion." Responding to her housemate's slander of her, the ghost girl simply held both arms up to give two thumbs up since she found that to have been awesome in some way—she, the creator of a definition that had already been made by some other individual who took all the credit. After all, Hanten said it as an insult and added more to it. "Why, if I did not know better, I'd say Met practically is the very definition of annoying stupidity itself." Again, another positive response from Met as the ghost girl thrust both arms in the air to do fist pumps. Her hands were free considering she didn't need to eat yet due to Hanten ripping off her lower jaw again. If her upper jaw was still present, perhaps she could've formed the muscles of that area into a smile; unfortunately, Hanten may have taken that away too. Regardless, she couldn't speak or even eat. Thankfully she didn't spill any of her blood anywhere or on the individuals around her, so at least that too was a plus.

Watching Met react the way she did, yet pleased their irritating housemate was quiet for now, Kurotsuno just sighed and continued to eat her own meal of lasagna and fruit salad with the same cup of coffee she had initially begun drinking just before dinner. A few coffee mugs were still arrayed on the counter near them, so she pointed at Met and gestured for the ghost girl to pour some coffee for everyone else who didn't have any or needed a refill. "I suppose I'll overlook it seeing as how you shut her up," she commented nonchalantly as the ghost went about her task, carefully pouring some without getting her blood in their mugs. As lunch had already begun, she decided it was time to officially begin inquiring into the affair that had garnered her interest earlier. She would've already looked into it by personally asking the young angel for her story, though wanted to soothe her own nerves by concentrating on forgetting her father was here and even existed. That was why it had been so silent for a short while, though now she'd pose the question. "Do tell, Macarona, of how an angel you came to be in our town in the company of a maid from Nightrise Castle." There wasn't any mention of her father in that statement since she was still trying to block him from her memory. "You're not one of those corporate businessmen up in the Corporate Heaven, but I suspect you possess a connection to them, yes?"

Wiping a bit of ricotta cheese off her mouth with a napkin after taking a bite of the manicotti she selected, the angelic girl blinked as she pondered on how to answer the question. Kurotsuno was giving her the opportunity to give an explanation of herself, perhaps believing she was a student of sorts for some kind of school project or an internship at a corporation in the very heaven she spoke of. That must've been why she thought Macarona was an angel from the Pitch Black World's Corporate Heaven. However, she wasn't even though her home world did indeed share commercial ties with the Corporate Heaven. Perhaps citing that bit first as the direct answer to the demonic girl's first question was the way to begin since they'd have become familiar with the fact she was from another world that way. Macarona suspected Hersilia and Albino hadn't spread the word about her in their school which Kurotsuno and her housemates—with the exception of Reina because she was an ambassador of sorts—might've also attended. Glancing around the table, she noticed everybody was observing her; only Sullivan and Medouco weren't since they were already well-aware of who she was and why she was here. Even Sibuna, Bis' father and subordinate of GriRea, was paying special attention to her perhaps because he may have believed she was a threat to Her Majesty unless she might've told him about her in which case he was recalling that. Then again, his curiosity might've stemmed from a different reason altogether, maybe a bit intrigue in why a young angelic girl like her was present in the Devil's Kingdom. "Yes, I am wondering about that too," he said, a bent finger on his chin. "Your name rings something of a bell in my mind from a brief remark I once heard, but it isn't at the front of my mind. Care to explain yourself so that I might remember you a little better if I already am somewhat familiar with you?" His request made the angel smile a bit, for she was grateful he was willing to listen.

"Very well, as you wish," Macarona stated and shut her eyes, a raising a fist to her mouth while clearing her throat. Following that with a sip of coffee to wash anything else down, she took a deep breath before beginning. "I do not come from the Corporate Heaven as some of you might've believed, but my world does trade with its civilization as the Goddess and Devil of my world know the Smoking God there. In truth, I come from the Gray Garden, a world of peace in which angels, demons, Nephilim, and other beings can coexist in pure harmony." Watching Sibuna recline back in his chair, she observed as the dog—jackal—demon shut his own eyes and began to ponder on the allusion to her world.

"The Gray Garden, eh?" he murmured aloud, thinking of what he knew about the place. "Home to the White Goddess, Etihw, and the Black Devil, Kcalb. He was one of Her Majesty's vassals once, someone I spoke with a few times in the past before he resigned his position to establish a truth with the White Goddess following their long war. A world of peace as you say, young lady, though not unheard of to those who bear grudges towards your people mainly because of their betrayal of the natural law dictating conflict between angels and demons. Etihw is viewed with some suspicion by some, if not all of her former peers, as if Kcalb for the same reason. Granted, the wars I know of that your world has been involved in were not fought under this pretense. I am well aware the Gray Garden put a stop to Ivlis and that the Stoic Devil, Reficul, has filed her report afterwards about him being the new Flame Devil so that he could be brought under Her Highness' control as another vassal. We have your world to thank for that, young lady, as Reficul put a good word in about the Gray Garden and explained the situation regarding Ivlis. Additionally, we are also grateful to your world for having dealt with the Sun God in cooperation with both the Smoking God, Fumus, and also Ivlis as well."

"You're welcome, sir," the young angel replied politely, liking how he didn't refer to her as an angel, but rather a young lady. Technically she was even though she was still a teenager, though that formality was not lost on Sibuna, it seemed. Granted, she was an angel, but knew that sometimes demons said it out of suspicion or opposition to angels. That was only natural in other worlds where angels and demons were in conflict with one another. Even angels were guilty of doing the same regarding demons. Macarona was grateful Sibuna didn't follow that trend. "I was involved in that first affair as my friends and I defeated Ivlis personally, but Mr. Kcalb stole his powers." That was bragging, but it was true.

"That I cannot sure of, young lady," Sibuna gave her a bit of bad news that wasn't too surprising to her. The Gray Garden did indeed emerge victorious in those conflicts, true, but many people in all of the worlds were not too familiar with all the major details aside from the Flame Underworld invading before being subsequently routed. Some did, though only heard the events as rumors whereas others claimed such rumors weren't even possible because there wasn't any evidence to support those accounts. Still, the facts themselves were indisputable. "I know of the affair via Reficul's report, yet I have read it a long time ago—in your world it wouldn't be as long due to the varying time zones. Although I cannot recollect many of the smaller details, the significant matter of each affair respectively has become a subject of public knowledge throughout each world: the Gray Garden defeated the Land of the Sun twice; first its underworld, and then its heaven. Whether you personally took part in one affair or the other is of no concern to me as identities are unsubstantial until an individual does something that is truly noteworthy." He spoke well, arguing for his perspective as if he were attempting to inform and persuade the group that Macarona wasn't unique until she proved it.

Proving it was going to be tough even if it was true, as convincing others of its validity was certainly a challenge.

"I cannot argue with that, Mr. Sibuna, for your argument does bear truth to it," Macarona conceded. Her acknowledgement of this fact could've indicated the others might not have really believed her. They could've begun to doubt her if they felt she wasn't telling the truth, but she was. However, she figured insisting upon it wouldn't have done much good because they'd have been at a stalemate. "Although I am known in my world for my achievements there, I do realize word may not have entirely spread throughout the other worlds. Why, I only became better known once I had revealed I was the reincarnated descendent of Rigatona, though I can comprehend how that too is hard to swallow."

"I'll say, considering how unlikely the chances are of a descendent bearing the exact soul as the original body," Hanten commented casually, obviously not buying her story despite the fact she was still interested in learning more about their angelic guest. "Who knows? Maybe it's true or false, whichever. Doesn't matter to me as I've got no idea who you're talking about. As far as I'm concerned this ancestor of yours you happen to be reincarnated from is just another number. Bear in mind I don't pay heed to any rumors like that because I just don't give a shit unless I can exploit them for bullying others." Hearing the sound of somebody reaching her arm across, the demonic girl opened her eyes to find Met attempting to perform a fist pump with her. Believing she might as well humor the quiet girl, she lightly did the gesture.

"Rigatona was one of the living legends, a powerful angel who was friends with the only other living legend, Yosaflame, a powerful demon. They respectively served their leaders of the Colored Rainbow World, yet maintained their friendship," Reina explained since she was more familiar with it. Turning to Macarona, she sought to apologize for her housemates' lack of belief in that rumor—the truth—and their general uncaring attitude towards it. "I am sorry for their behavior towards this critical matter, Macarona. The endeavors of Rigatona and Yosaflame have reached this underworld, though many of the people who inhabit this hell are preoccupied with what society here demands of them and what they seek to accomplish within this corrupt rat race of a hell we refer to as the Devil's Kingdom. Personally I must admit that I do concur with Mr. Sibuna, however, for proof is required in order for us to believe your account."

"Can't we just give her the benefit of the doubt?" Bis asked. "I heard from Albino and Hersilia she helped them out of a tight spot against some bullies, so she's probably okay in that regard. I mean, she has no reason to lie to us."

"Unless she gives us one we don't buy, Bis," Kurotsuno responded, directing a critical gaze at the angel.

"I can assure you I'm not lying and am telling you the whole truth," Macarona asserted. "Even so, I do not expect you to believe it precisely because of the valid point Mr. Sibuna has raised. You're in no position to believe me."

"Then what should we believe?" Hanten asked sarcastically. "He claimed he was somewhat familiar with you, an angel from the Gray Garden who has somehow wound up in a different world entirely. You're not in your home world anymore, kiddo. You can expect no freebies from us even if you managed to convince other demons. Give us a reason why we should believe you with your testimony of how you came to the Devil's Kingdom in the first place."

"I do not have a reason for that; I only have what I can say on the matter," the angelic girl reiterated honestly, taking the chance to inform them of how she came to this underworld as Hanten requested. She knew the others were waiting for the explanation on that. "To sum up your other inquiry quite briefly, I was framed by your Devil for murder; specifically killing one of his professional assassins. While that may draw suspicion onto me as being the culprit since I have no tangible evidence to support this theory, I can only speak the truth in the matter. Whether you believe me or not is up to you, though I have a feeling you'll consider it even if you don't fully trust it right away. Mr. Satanick's seeking to declare war against my world and I have to try and do what I can to help stop him, though unfortunately I've become his prisoner due to him framing me. From what I know of international law, someone who has committed a crime against somebody from another world must be charged by both their home world and the victim's world. This is something I haven't gone through yet in spite of this, so that in of itself may explain a bit of what's going on between our societies."

"Yes, that may indeed explain something pertaining to my mission of investigating the removal of funds from several banks throughout this underworld rather surreptitiously," Sibuna remarked to reveal what his duty was. "Now go on, young lady. Finish your story so that we may have all the details concerning your plight. Your assumption of how international law works in courts is certainly correct as well, so there may truly be some merit to the tale you speak of. How is it that you know the Gentleman Devil and why did he personally choose you of all individuals to frame?"

"Thank you, sir," Macarona responded with a smile, glad he was beginning to comprehend her account and leaned towards believing some, if not all of it. "I can tell you're all wondering what my connection to Mr. Satanick is considering how Mr. Sibuna phrased that question. Truthfully, I am no acquaintance of his personally. That being said, I'm friends with his wife since we met at a little get together in the Shadowed Sanctuary." Turning her gaze towards the dog—jackal—demon to face him, the angel elected this was an opportunity to mention she also knew GriRea. "That's how I met Her Majesty herself and impressed her with something I had written." Her remark caused Sibuna's eyes to widen somewhat as he raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the sudden detail thrust upon him as he searched the confines of his memory to seek out the very offhanded remark GriRea might've made regarding her short vacation in that hell. As he'd been racking his mind, Macarona continued her story. "Mr. Satanick eventually found out Lil was staying with me following a marital dispute she had with him over the issue of wanting to have more power so she could reform this underworld and make it better slightly. He refused and she departed for my world, choosing to stay with me as their feud was boiling. We had fun together while she was there, but eventually he discovered where she was and came to the Gray Garden too to try reclaiming her. She refused and I supported her even though my world would want it handled from a neutral standpoint. Then I got framed by him for murdering one of his assassins which I didn't do, and that's how I wound up here. It's not as bad as it might initially seem since I was able to acquire some privileges through their son, Glasses."

"Wow, you know our Devil's wife and the Queen, huh?" Hanten asked rhetorically after the angel was done. "Must be pretty important for an angel to have become acquainted with demons of such high prestige and status."

"I am but a humble civilian merely trying to perform her civic duty for her home world," Macarona stated.

"And would you go about that?" Kurotsuno also inquired, resting her mouth on the tops of her fingers. "You entered our underworld a prisoner with but only a few privileges and are under surveillance from members of the staff in service to the Gentleman Devil. Surely you realize it would be impossible for you to operate freely now that you have spilled all the beans you've been keeping secret up until now? That was your mistake, Macarona; it will be your undoing."

"Maybe, Kurotsuno, but I've still got to do something for my world," the angel added. "I have realized saying this could likely get me in trouble. I've already spoke of it to other individuals already, including Medouco, your father, and Glasses too. Several of them believe my story as difficult it may be to truly swallow fully. It's what led to me being able to move freely in Zlienderstrom rather than be confined as a prisoner; sure, I'm still not allowed to do some things, though I can at least meet the people and learn more about them and their society and volunteer my help if its needed." A thought occurred to her that maybe now she could offer her help in some other way just as she'd done for Hersilia and Albino yesterday. Remembering what Lil had said after their first encounter with Anten, Macarona realized Sibuna's presence as a connection to GriRea was precisely one kind of aid she could provide whether he believed her or not.

"You do acknowledge what you're saying is difficult to believe," Reina observed, "and are claiming to be telling the truth at the same time. As far as I can understand, what I'm getting from that is either the truth or a false account. You're trying to convince us your story is accurate, but realizing we can't believe it without tangible proof could mean it likely is. On the flipside, unfortunately, your acknowledgement of that concern could be a tactic to make us believe you."

"Believe what you all will; I cannot force you to other than to state my piece and stand by it," Macarona said. "I may assert it's true, but that in of itself doesn't mean you have to buy it. That is a decision I'm leaving up to you, but I can certainly provide more details that would actually be of intrigue to Mr. Sibuna if he would care to hear what they are." That remark about other details certainly did pique his interest as she thought, and she watched him lean forward in his chair to pay close attention to what she had to relate. Evidently he must've already figured out why exactly that was.

"Do tell, young lady," he demanded, requesting she go on with her account. "Leave no stone unturned."

…

Her breathing had gotten heavier the moment the tarp was lifted from off his body, her eyes widening in fear. Yesterday she had managed to get some vacation days off from work because she was so worried about him and that truth Anten revealed to her. As she had hardly taken time off from work, her employer allowed her the opportunity to go see the corpse of what had been her boyfriend. All that time working for the first few hours had been hectic because she couldn't concentrate on her responsibilities as a gardener and groundskeeper. Thoughts of him slowly leaving her, never to return, clouded her mind and made her skip important details she normally caught with ease. Yet in front of her was him, just…being there. Staying there. Leaving there. Leaving her. "D-Daimonji…" she whispered his name nervously and wrapped her arms around herself as she saw his deceased form on the tray that would soon go into an incinerator.

"Sad, isn't it?" the Gentleman Devil asked from beside her as Anten gently pulled the tarp back over who had once been his coworker. The demon who had once been her boyfriend. Satanick wasn't smiling even as Daimonji's cadaver was pushed into the incinerator to cremate his body. He knew it was rude of him to place his arm around her because she didn't like him, yet he maintained his sympathy for her. "He was such a good assassin. One of my best. I've already come to miss him. I'm sure you have too, Cosmea. It must have been a taxing trip through the Devil's Kingdom for you, just waiting to arrive so you can say your final goodbyes to him. I hope you did not mind if we joined you in seeing him off one last time. It would've been very lonely for you, being alone with the deceased form of your lover."

Cosmea sniffed, unsure of what to say. She didn't like either Satanick or Anten, and yet their presence here felt soothing. Perhaps it was because she truly didn't want to be alone in her grief. Maybe they really did miss him. "N-no, i-it's fine. I-I'm just glad he's in a better place now where he won't have to kill people anymore. He may have had good associates like you, though a lot of enemies as well because of his occupation." Tears were flowing out of her eyes and down her cheeks. She raised a handkerchief she had sown herself up to wipe them away, but they just kept coming. "I-I don't know if you required his ashes or not, b-but is there some way I-I c-could keep them, or at least some of them? I don't have too many reminders of his for memories, but just having Daimonji by my side would be enough for me. It may not be his living presence, but at least his ashes alone would bring me some comfort as I try to cope with his death."

Satanick nodded, displaying a sympathetic smile towards the Cherub angel. "Certainly, he had few associates and friends, though you were very important and far dearer to him than anyone else. He looked forward to each and every interaction with you, finding joy in your presence and being by your side." Stepping away from the wall he was leaning against, he got closer to her and began to implement the next part of his plan. "Though I do not believe simply having him by your side is really enough. After all, he's done so much for you and you so little for him. You weren't there to help."

"W-what do you mean…?" the Cherub angel inquired, confused as to what he meant. Deep down, however, she realized there was only one word to accurately describe how she was feeling and what she wanted. The Gentleman Devil noticed that and appeared to be goading her towards it. "Are you saying he'd still be alive if I went with him?"

"It's not your fault, Cosmea, you couldn't attend because it was official business. He wasn't allowed to take you with him due to that," Satanick assured her. "Now that you're here, however, you may just want to take the opportunity for him, to seize justice on behalf of Daimonji." His smile was no longer sympathetic now, for he showed a scheming appearance that he didn't really need to conceal since he knew Cosmea still believed he was only trying to help her. "You've come all this way to see him and now the chance to enact justice is in your hands. I can provide it to you."

"Y-you can?" Cosmea had no idea she was falling for it. Her mind was still wrapped around Daimonji's death.

The Gentleman Devil nodded again. "Yes, I can. You see, Cosmea, his killer was an angel like yourself, one from the Gray Garden in fact. A peaceful world if you've heard of it, though that is what they want others to believe. They've kept lots of secrets hidden from even those they trade with, including the Corporate Heaven, your heaven—dare I add that it is also the very same one of our shared world. A while back my wife was passing through when they kidnapped her, holding her there against her will." It was a lie that should've been easy enough for her to see through, though Cosmea fought an internal battle against herself whether it was true or false. She knew about how much Lil hated her husband and the Devil's Kingdom because of what it was like, but she knew nothing about the Gray Garden other than the fact her heaven shared commercial ties with it. Even if part of what Satanick was saying was a lie, some of it might've still been true to some extent. "Daimonji's killer, a girl by the name of Macarona, was a prison guard of sorts. When I sent my assassins to rescue her, Macarona discovered Daimonji and slew him in cold blood. I had gone too in secret because I was worried about them and my wife, and that's when I saw her do it. I apprehended her in an instant, though due to international law preventing me from having her tried in court until one in her own world convicts her, I cannot do anything and have merely been keeping her here. I doubt her world would punish her, hence my decision. Now they're demanding her back and won't likely put her on trial. Macarona must be brought to justice for Daimonji's death."

Cosmea swallowed heavily. "A-and you would like me to do this for you?"

"If I were to execute her myself or have one of my subordinates do the deed before a trial, the suspicion shall be cast upon me for trying to avoid the trial in the first place," he replied to her question. "I've requested the trial as soon as I met with their leaders and demanded Macarona be brought to justice for the crime and for my wife's freedom. They claimed they'd hold one, though I am positive they'll just praise her for having murdered an assassin who was merely attempting to save my wife instead of killing anybody on this mission. After all, they're a world of alleged 'peace' and desire to ensure they come across as a peaceful world by approaching this at face value: that Daimonji had to die since he was an assassin. I even have documentation of this taking place. In fact, they were quick to declare war against me. I'm currently conducting negotiations with the leaders of the Gray Garden to avoid this pointless war, though negotiations aren't making much progress. In the event they seek to attack, I have mobilized my army to defend our underworld by making a first strike that should hopefully cripple that world into listening better to what I'd like to request of them." Placing his hands on her shoulders, he looked deep into her eyes. "Cosmea, only you can do this; only you are able to do this. The Corporate Heaven has no jurisdiction over this, but as Daimonji's lover you can enact justice. You have that right. If Macarona were to escape and return to her home world, you'll miss your chance and she'll never be put on trial in the event I somehow lose this war if it were to escalate that far—so far in fact it'll be bloody, full of pure carnage."

"I-I have that right…" Cosmea parroted those words, letting them sink into her as they rolled off his tongue. Her desire for vengeance, justice against Daimonji's killer was strong. She just needed to be pushed in the right direction to fulfill this one act on behalf of her lover if not for the Devil's Kingdom. "I-I suppose that's true…b-but then, what if your success in the war does happen and this Macarona still manages to get away? Would she be pursued by your forces?"

"They'll try, but so far she's proven elusive as she demonstrated yesterday when she kidnapped a warden who was supposed to be watching over her. It's possible she might've somehow convinced that warden—Medouco—to assist her into escaping from the Devil's Kingdom. They're no longer in the castle and we've lost track of where she's gone until a half hour ago when we've received word from one of our employees he was tailed by them on his way to visit his daughter at Moonshadow Manor. He caught sight of her and requested assistance at once earlier today. I'd send my men, though they'll never catch her because she's so elusive. However, she'll not run from you, Cosmea. You're a fellow angel like her, someone she'll likely trust because of that fact. She'll be unaware you actually wish to deliver justice upon her for killing Daimonji. This is our only shot at serving justice when it rightfully matters. You can kill the warden too in the event she is aiding and abetting a known killer, but if not do turn her over to me so I can punish her for failing."

"I-I see…" Cosmea murmured silently and tipped her head down. Her tears dripped to the floor as she formed her hands into fists while she was still choking out some sobs. "Then so be it. How dare she take Daimonji away from me." Slowly turning around, the Cherub angel didn't notice the sarcastic smirk on Satanick's face as she walked out. "I will find this other angel, and I will make sure Daimonji is avenged so he can rest in peace knowing she was punished." Opening the door and sauntering out, Cosmea's fists tightened as her drive for vengeance was just and understandable.

…

 **Once again I bring you another long chapter featuring more non-canon development of the Devil's Kingdom, in particular the Magnus District and the canon characters who reside in it. I've tried to stick close to what's in canon and their canon development when incorporating them into this chapter, so hopefully I've done a good job with that and the non-canon development as well. At the time of editing this, I thought about splitting this into two separate chapters, but figured I'd keep it as one so the fight against Cosmea can come next time.**

 **Moonshadow Manor was actually named after a plane of Oblivion from the Elder Scrolls universe called Moonshadow that is presided over by Azura, the Daedric Prince of Twilight. According to the lore on the UESP (Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages; that's the full title of the site) this realm is breathtakingly beautiful to the point where mortals will be half-blinded by its splendor. Moonshadow can be described as a natural paradise in which Winged Twilights, the Daedra that inhabit her realm, live. The name of the Daedric plane itself can also be considered another name for Azura, and the Daedric Prince of Twilight herself welcomes mortals into her realm. You can learn more about this on the UESP if you're interested in it and other elements of Elder Scrolls lore.**

 **The Morgenstern is a sixteenth century weapon considered a kind of mace that was wielded by the Habsburgs. In German, the name possibly translates to Morning Star because of spiked head. However, it is also possible it was named so because this weapon was used in raids that occurred at dawn. Perhaps it could be both. When looking up which weapon Hanten used against Met in this chapter, I once again consulted The Illustrated History of Weaponry which was already referenced in a previous chapter of this story once before. You can also look it up on Wikipedia as well if you're interested in learning more information about the Morgenstern.**


	23. Chapter Twenty-Three: Vs Cosmea

"You're sure she's taken the bait?" Anten had asked after she'd left the morgue. Once she was gone, he had begun the process of pulling the tray back out and getting a small shovel to pile the ashes into a box for her. Of course, Cosmea wasn't going to be receiving these ashes anytime soon according to the plan the Gentleman Devil conceived.

"You saw her reaction, Anten," Satanick responded coolly, exhaling a breath of fresh air to compose himself because that display of sorrow was unlike him. It was only an act, however, for the idea he thought of was ingenious because of how it had to be implemented and carried through. His skill with a silver tongue and diplomacy was great, helping him accomplish the endeavor he sought to perform by putting the Cherub angel into a tight spot. "Daimonji's Cosmea's lover; she'd do anything to please him and would avenge his death if she heard of it—and now she has. He always was one of my best assassins, so it's a shame we had to let him go. Nonetheless the implications of this notion serve for more than just simple vengeance. By killing him myself and framing Macarona for his murder, I can kill two birds—or in this case, angels—with one stone. Technically Cosmea shall not be dying as Medouco may take her place in the grave. Even so, the idea of using her as a tool to further ensure our success against the Gray Garden is necessary. Holding her hostage once she completes the deed by arresting her for the murder of a maid in my service means we've secured a bargaining chip against Fumus. He'll not move against us once we've got her in our clutches, plus proclaiming Cosmea as a murderer shall set her up in the same situation Macarona is in. The only difference is that Cosmea actually will be killing somebody and that is Macarona, and perhaps Medouco too if she goes through with it in the event that pathetic maid does indeed support her new angelic associate." He smirked, taking in another breath of air. "Pure genius."

"And if she kills that other angelic bitch—which she will—what then?"

"Then we can also inform the Gray Garden's leaders their own angel was assassinated by an angel from the Corporate Heaven, thus attempting to sever any and all ties between the two civilizations. We'll say the assassin did it because she was ordered to because Fumus wasn't fond of them having the reincarnated descendent of Rigatona in their world since that made the Gray Garden overpowered. Whether they initially believe us or not is of no concern as the seed of doubt would've already been planted then. Eventually it'll grow and develop into full mistrust against the Corporate Heaven, thereby possibly leading to tensions between the two that'll be most poisonous and likely spark a war neither side can really win. That's because we'll be moving in immediately to mop up the survivors once we get out of this war as the Gray Garden will be too weak from our assault against them. Then again, say they put their war against the Corporate Heaven on hold for the time being to combat us if they manage to survive our full scale assault against them. They may look to Fumus for a temporary alliance against us, though he'll not aid them because we're holding one of his own as a hostage. That means the Gray Garden might have to accept the fact they lost the war, or plod onwards to their deaths. Furthermore, there'll even be discontent against Etihw and Kcalb for attempting to fight back on either: the offensive, defensive, or both, and also for attempting to ally with Fumus even though one of his angels is responsible for the death of one of their angels. From this angle by using Cosmea in this manner, she has become a great asset of a tool we'll use."

Anten grinned viciously, liking the sound of that plan in action. "Sounds good," he complimented his Devil on how thoughtful it was. Satanick had outdone himself with many such plans, knowing exactly how to manipulate the situation at hand to his advantage. This was merely another of them, a number in that arsenal known as an intelligent mind capable of constructing elaborate details that could be formed into the most lucratively foolproof plans. "And if it fails?" he then asked to only ensure the Gentleman Devil considered the ramifications of the plan falling short due to unforeseen obstacles that could've gotten in the way. "You do have a backup plan for taking care of Cosmea, don't you, sir?"

"Indeed, for even if she fails, the attempt on Macarona's life would still be enough to warrant the plan going ahead," Satanick replied with a smirk as Yagi entered the room. "We'll still capture Cosmea to prevent Macarona from acting any further because even she'll be bound by Cosmea's captivity in the same way Fumus will be bound as well. When my son came to me with the demands she requested, neither he nor Macarona knew what I had planned. They were unaware I was going to let Cosmea come and kill her by turning her over to Daimonji's vengeful lover. This does not change that concept in the slightest, merely moving the location and nothing more to a suitable location because if the murder were to occur within the castle, there's a chance Fumus will take issue with that. He'll claim I likely allowed Cosmea to murder Macarona despite having no evidence because I have ensured none is left. The notion of her actually breaking in to perform the deed will still hold, but in this manner by moving the crime scene we ensure that first claim is no longer valid to drop any and all suspicions against us. Therefore, we're in the clear all the way, and Macarona shall not realize she was walking straight into my trap all along; she'll know nothing of it unless Cosmea were to somehow get word to her if she discovered I was using her. Yet actions speak louder than words and Cosmea will have no proof."

Anten's smirk grew a tad wider as he chuckled. "Hah, you're such a sly man, sir. I like it."

"Your approval and feedback are most appreciated, Anten," the Gentleman Devil stated to finish speaking with him before directing his attention to Yagi. "Have the legions finally finished preparing themselves for the long march?" Assaulting the Gray Garden at once had to be carried out immediately, hence why they ordered for the full military to be armed way ahead of time so that it could move out right away. This command was carried out a bit after Lil left, but prior to the assassins heading to the Gray Garden themselves to retrieve her, thus ensuring a perfect opportunity to declare the war he wanted against that other world. "Do you believe it'll also be prudent to have the soldiers on the Corporate Heaven's border perform a quick raid against some of the border settlements to wipe them out as a message for Fumus to stay out of our conflict? He'll have to focus on mending the damage done to his realm, thus drawing his attention elsewhere where it won't be on us for some time. It could be of aid for when we invade the Corporate Heaven later."

"The army is already on the move and I have indeed given that order to the troops by that border," Yagi said to report in. "The legions that've been assigned to the portals in between the Gray Garden and its allies already reached their destinations and are holding firm. With regards to those in the portal leading there to the Corporate Heaven, I've given orders for the legions there to aid in the raids against the Smoking God's heaven, thus causing more destruction. The same order hasn't been issued to the other legions to avoid conflict with the Flower World and the Shadowed Sanctuary."

Satanick smiled, glad to hear they were in a prime position for coming out on top. "Excellent, great work."

"What are to be my additional orders, sir?" the goat demon inquired for further activity on his part.

"For now, simply keep doing what you're doing. Once the armies finally reach the Gray Garden, I shall depart for that world as well to speak with its Goddess and Devil for a bit before proceeding with the order to attack," the Gentleman Devil explained to him. "On their own, they have nobody but themselves to rely on. Additionally, the very attack against them itself could drive some of them to abandon their friends and families in the Gray Garden to help us because they'll believe it'll be the only way they can survive the war. It'll certainly cause strife and put them in our debt."

"Alone and in chaos…" Yagi murmured, nodding since he concurred with the idea which was a standard way the Gentleman Devil followed when declaring war on other societies and worlds. "The very fabric of sheer discord."

…

"This really feels like a bad idea, Jork."

"Come on, Chikemuri, it'll be fine. I've got the stuff in my backpack right here. She'll love them, I just know it."

The youth in the oriental school boy uniform sighed, putting a hand to his temple. His short black hair from which a pair of black horns protruded blew gently in the wind, his long white bangs blowing a bit stronger with his tail along with the gray cape he wore as well. To say his half-brother was foolish would've done no good even if it was accurate, yet the other demonic lad knew it to be true. What made him pursue this affair anyway was his determination to make an attempt at finally being accepted by the girl he loved. Chikemuri understood that all too well, though knowing Kurotsuno meant this would've only ended in disaster since the demonic girl would've beat the living shit out of him. That was usually the only attention Jork ever got from her when she wasn't too busy ignoring him; both the beatings and her lack of intrigue in him on a daily basis should've been enough to deter his half-brother from wooing her. Chikemuri kept trying to persuade him to find another girl who'd likely return his feelings, but Jork was just too confident in his endeavor. "I just know she's either going to kill you or not pay any attention to your existence, Jork. Whether you do present the items in question to Kurotsuno or not means nothing to her. She'll just take the one by force if she has to."

"She's got to accept the flowers too, Chikemuri," Jork, the lad wearing a similar uniform said confidently, his messy white hair with dark gray tips also blowing in the wind as they walked through the forest. His red eyes were shut, oblivious to what lay on the path ahead of him despite the fact he knew exactly where to step. Perhaps the years of his traversing this very path taught him where everything was so he could form a mental image of the road as a map. The goat demon was smiling, his curved brown horns shining because he polished them earlier and fluffed his white fluffy tail. Even his outfit looked pristinely clean because he spent quite a few hours preparing himself to visit Kurotsuno today. "You've got to have at least a couple of the things girls love, otherwise you'll have nothing to please the ladies. Trust me, I have the OCHO chocolate Kurotsuno loves and I know for sure she'll accept at least that even if she doesn't take the flowers. Yet I made sure to choose just the right kind of flowers she'll love too. I may not have had enough for some jewelry, what with the allowance I get being just a paltry amount, but at least I've ensured she'll notice me for once."

"When she starts beating you to pry that OCHO chocolate over your dead body," Chikemuri commented and walked a little quicker to step in front of his half-brother. Stopping and placing his hands on the other's shoulders, he got Jork's attention and tried to apply the same reasoning again. "Jork, you know Kurotsuno is going to kill you. You know she'll probably ignore you if she doesn't want to get her hands dirty. She can very well let Hanten have her fun with us. Why pursue an endeavor that'll only end badly for you—and myself I should add in case Hanten does kill us. Trust me, Jork, if I know Kurotsuno well, I know that much about her. Even if she doesn't murder us herself, she'll easily consent to my sister having all the fun of doing it on Kurotsuno's behalf. Maybe Met would get involved as well to even the odds as far as numbers go, but they're too strong for us to handle, Jork. You're placing us at risk by attempting to impress her."

"Some risks are worth dying for, my friend," Jork politely brushed aside his half-brother's concern. "I do indeed appreciate you're worried about us, but I can't do nothing when the girl I love is ahead of us. Besides, we've come this far already." In reality they actually did make it to Moonshadow Manor sometimes when Hanten and Met weren't out and about in the forest. This wasn't the first time they've done it, but it certainly could've been the last if those girls killed the two of them. Jork might've been Yagi's son, but his father would've easily overlooked his death because he was weak. Yagi could've also put Gyakuten in his place if Chikemuri died too and his father took it out on the older goat demon because Yagi was Satanick's second-in-command and had the power to do virtually anything against Gyakuten and wouldn't have been reprimanded or punished for whatever he did do. "Besides, Kurotsuno will just call them off if she appreciates my gifts and accepts them. She might even welcome us in for lunch if they haven't eaten already. Don't worry, I've got this under control. Mr. Sullivan approves of my attempts and even encourages me to see her too just as he's been trying. If one of us manages to finally win her over, we can help each other out by encouraging her to accept us."

"Whether she does or not is her decision, Jork," Chikemuri kept trying to get through to his half-brother. He never really succeeded, of course, but kept persisting in the effort nonetheless because he hoped one day Jork would finally surrender by giving up his pursuit of Kurotsuno's affections. Then he could look for other fish in the sea to use a metaphor to describe his next move, for there were indeed plenty of other girls out there who could've just as easily accepted Jork. Maybe a girl like Albino or Hersilia could've done the job; Albino was cheeky and she treated the two boys well, and becoming Hersilia's boyfriend meant Jork could possibly secure a place in her family when he married her. Considering his half-brother's status as an aristocratic youth—even if Jork didn't act like one—the vampiric girl would've been a good choice due to the political and economic benefits of being tied to another family that supported the Gentleman Devil. Both Jork's and Hersilia's status would've been secure if a marriage between the two was arranged, though that wasn't likely because neither his own family and the vampire's liked him all that much since Jork was weak and didn't conform to the standard norms and mors that defined the Devil's Kingdom. Besides those factors, Jork's heart was set on Kurotsuno alone, and the young goat demon wouldn't dare give up on her even if his half-brother tried to convince him otherwise. "Please reconsider this, Jork. You're my half-brother, I don't want to see or experience either one of us getting hurt by your determination to win over a specific girl's love when there is none. Your failure affects me too."

"Then I'd best be sure I don't fail, then," Jork remarked, undaunted by his half-brother's persuasion attempt despite appreciating the concern. Resuming his pace, he strolled past Chikemuri and continued sauntering along the way to Moonshadow Manor. "And even if I do, I'd much rather you run away instead of trying to help me, Chikemuri. You may be concerned for my wellbeing which I do appreciate, but I'm also worried for yours. I'm thankful you're coming with me, but at the same time I don't want you getting hurt by Hanten and Met even if I myself am not harmed."

"I'm glad you're at least considering my feelings on that topic," Chikemuri concurred, grateful for Jork's concern as a half-brother. "Still, I'm not abandoning you to abuse from Met and Hanten, even if nobody else but Albino would." He was right that Albino was nice to them in her own way even if she acted a bit rough in her care of the boys. The fact she was good to them was what made her another potential girlfriend for Jork even if she was from the middle class. Still, even though Jork did like her too, Kurotsuno was the only girl he loved even though Kurotsuno didn't love him back, but rather despised him just as she despised her own father. Albino also encouraged it to some extent, though concurred with Chikemuri on the subject of the other demonic girl's hatred of the goat demon and her friends' abuse of the boys. However, she wasn't here to try and help stop those other girls from hurting them since she was likely with Hersilia, leaving only Chikemuri to be by Jork's side as the latter lad went forward with his desire to see Kurotsuno today.

"And again, I appreciate it and am thankful for it, Chikemuri," Jork reassured him. "Even so, if you need to flee, I'll cover you by serving as their distraction. They'll probably pay more attention to me because I love Kurotsuno."

"Though they're also likely to come after me to mess with you further," his half-brother pointed out that fact.

Jork chuckled. "Then I guess I need to keep their attention long enough, especially Kurotsuno's." Closing his eyes, he imagined her spending time with him and doing stuff together while hanging out. Kurotsuno obviously didn't harbor any thoughts about him or did the same as their reality consisted of her either beating or ignoring him. That didn't prevent Jork for picturing it in his mind, however, even at times when he wasn't supposed to. School was one example because of his daydreaming which caused him to fall back behind the other students—including the girls too besides the other boys. He was already considered one of the worst students in school for that very reason and the faculty didn't want to teach him anything anymore because the young goat demon was already failing many of his courses. They wanted him out, though couldn't do anything. Yagi would've had them killed if they expelled or suspended his son because he sought to have appearances maintained by putting his son through school. The older goat demon already had that divorce with Chishibuki whom he never cared for, so Jork's failures would've been another blow to his prestige and reputation. Yagi didn't need any more familial trouble on his palette, at least whenever he couldn't get it done himself; the academy might not have been allowed to get rid of Jork by any means necessary, but that didn't mean he wouldn't do it himself.

"Yeah, good luck with that," Chikemuri murmured, still a little frustrated that his half-brother wasn't giving up even in the face of danger that would've most likely killed him. "You'll need it, Jork; trust me, you'll need it more than me." Gazing up at the Victorian styled manor before them as the two got closer to its presence towering over them, he caught sight of the young goat demon stopping to pull his backpack off and remove the items inside. In one hand was a bouquet of flowers, roses to be specific—the best kind of flower representing romance. The other held a heart shaped box of chocolates—OCHO chocolates as it said on the cover, Kurotsuno's favorite brand of chocolate. As both of his hands were full, Chikemuri opted to carry the backpack for his half-brother now that it was a bit lighter; those two items had actually been the only things Jork stored inside in today rather than the normal things he needed for school. That stuff was emptied out of the backpack earlier today, including his homework which he never did because his efforts on weekends were primarily spent solely on attempting to win over Kurotsuno. Of course, one would wonder why he didn't even bother learning anything at all from either school or his interactions with the demonic girl—both of which were quite unpleasant. At school he was reprimanded and punished for being a terrible student, and Kurotsuno either didn't pay attention to him or beat the shit out of him whenever she was. And yet he pursued her all the same in spite of that at the expense of his academia and the need to learn, both of which he discarded. Asking why would've been a great inquiry to make, though somehow Jork was surprisingly intelligent enough to know about how schools only taught what their financial backers wanted them to teach. That much he knew for sure because it was true, and yet he was still not good.

The schooling system was bad. Jork was bad in school—he was a nice kid, but couldn't pass his classes. Both were not good in terms of learning experiences and the knowledge acquired from educational pursuits pertaining to academies. With Jork being an example of a poor student going through a poor schooling system, one had to wonder which of the two was worse: Jork or the schooling system. If the former, then it would be due to any effort Jork put into what he wanted to learn now—that was to say none at all—and later if the schooling system was mended via reform. As for the latter, it was already a terrible system to begin with even though it still functioned and operated in light of the fact it was failing the students, especially Jork. It could've only improved or changed dramatically via reform, something both the schooling system and Jork himself needed in order to become more effective and better able to live in civilization. A comparison and contrast on this particular issue demonstrated well how reform for society and its citizens was needed.

If civilization in the Devil's Kingdom could be reformed, however; the possibility had yet to be determined. Improving this very underworld was going to take a lot of time and effort, and it required experienced minds to boot.

"Yeah, thanks, Chikemuri," Jork replied with a smile as he sauntered up the steps to the porch, stopping to press the doorbell and wait outside the front door for it to open. He hoped it was Kurotsuno so she could accept the gifts he purchased for her, though would've accepted anyone else provided he was either allowed in or given the chance to see Kurotsuno here before his entrance. She was the lady of the house in spite of her youth as a demonic girl, so naturally Kurotsuno had to make the final decision because this was her home where she allowed only her closest friends to stay with her. That was Hanten, strictly speaking; though Bis was also welcome because her father served the Queen and was enrolled in Zlienderstrom's academy at her father's request. Even Reina, whom Jork only saw a few times, was also a foreign ambassador or emissary of sorts from the Youkai Kingdom. There was also Met since she was Hanten's servant, and thus became Kurotsuno's servant too because Hanten lived with Kurotsuno. It was a home of several individuals with their own backgrounds who came together to live under one common roof, a unique, if standard abode in this district.

Taking a deep breath as he opened his eyes, preparing himself by thinking about what to say, the young goat demon stood there for a few moments eagerly looking forward to the front door opening. His patience was rewarded seconds later when he heard the screen door unlock and open followed by the actual front door itself, revealing Met standing there with her helmet on. A Morgenstern was sticking out of the helmet, suggesting she'd been smashed on the head with it by Kurotsuno or Hanten due to something stupid the ghost girl said or did again. A bit of blood seeped through the cracks and from below the helmet where Met's mouth was located, presumably indicating her jaws—either one or both—had been harmed too in some way. Upon seeing him standing there with the OCHO chocolate and the flowers, the ghost girl got excited. "Oh, hi, Jork! Here for a surprise visit to see Kuro?" she inquired amicably as he nodded in response, but couldn't get another word in since she started talking again. "And you've got the right stuff for wooing her with!" Met clapped her hands, excitedly looking forward to Jork's dreams coming true—or being shattered and also dashed to the ground which would've worsened the shattering. "Ah, this is going to be so much fun! Kuro's going to love your gift oh so much! I can't wait to see her reaction! I just know she'll welcome it with open arms, Jork!" Of course, whether she welcomed the goat demon with open arms just as she would with the OCHO chocolate was another story.

His smile widened a bit as he shut his eyes, unaware that Chikemuri was sighing because the other boy knew Kurotsuno wasn't going to accept him even if she took the OCHO chocolate—she probably wouldn't even thank him. At the very least, however, Chikemuri hoped it wouldn't be as bad as he imagined it would be if Kurotsuno simply focused more on the chocolates than beating Jork. She might've hurt him a little, but he knew the chocolates would've most likely taken precedent with her. He would've spoken up to relay this, but Jork beat him to the punch. "Why, thanks, Met. I knew I picked out the right brand of chocolates for her, and I hope the flowers are a nice touch. Could you call Kurotsuno or go get her so I could give these to her?" he asked nicely, knowing she'd do his favor as Met nodded prior to turning around and cupping her hands around her mouth to call the demonic girl into the foyer for a meeting with Jork.

"KURO, YOUR BOYFRIEND HAS ARRIVED!"

Again, Chikemuri sighed. He knew what was coming, desperately wishing it wasn't going to be that bad. "It really wasn't a good idea, Jork…" he muttered under his breath, though his half-brother didn't hear him because his voice was too low to hear at that point. Besides, Jork was already filling his mind with thoughts of him and Kurotsuno that blocked out everything else for he was expecting to hear her voice next which would've filled him with happiness.

And that voice did indeed speak up when Kurotsuno came to the door. "Oh, it's you," she murmured coldly.

Jork nodded happily, eagerly shutting his eyes to envision her next statement. "Yep, it's me!" he responded, ignoring her taciturn tone while looking forward to her reacting with joy at the sight of him holding one of the things she loved: OCHO chocolate. Yet his hopes and dreams of her finally treating him favorably and accepting him were quite quickly dashed in mere moments when she seized the bouquet and smashed it down upon his head before snatching the box of chocolates she so loved to consume. One of her wings suddenly protruded as well, smacking him so hard on purpose when she turned to leave that it sent the poor boy flying off the porch with Chikemuri attending to his half-brother's crumpled form that now laid at the bottom of the porch steps while the girl of his dreams was walking away.

"Piss off and stay the hell off my property, asshole" were Kurotsuno's only words as she sauntered nonchalantly deeper into her abode, the rejection smashing into Jork hard just as her wing had done that same moment. If the goat demon had any concerns over what she said and did to him, he would've given up then and there—or perhaps he should've considered that much earlier following one of his previous attempts at trying to win her heart over. However, as Chikemuri had hoped, Kurotsuno's reaction and response to Jork's presence with the box of OCHO chocolates wasn't as horrible as he believed it would've been. Thankfully the demonic girl had only hurt him with flowers and a single smack from a wing besides rejecting his advance, so Kurotsuno was no longer a problem because she was abandoning them, choosing to not waste her time on the boys—especially Jork. In the young goat demon's mind, this was a mere setback that unsurprisingly didn't deter him because she at least took the chocolate. To him, that meant there was another shot of hopefully being able to successfully be Kurotsuno's boyfriend once she finally stopped rejecting his persistent advances.

Unfortunately, Kurotsuno's departure from them didn't mean Hanten and Met would've left them without hurting them either. As a matter of fact, the former demon had already witnessed the commotion and was coming over too to chuckle mischievously at the boys for their failure. Even Met was laughing hysterically too, enjoying the sight of Jork's hurt form at the bottom of the porch steps with his half-brother at his side, neither lad aware at the moment they were there. "Wow, you boys sure failed to impress Kurotsuno again," Hanten remarked with a smirk, leaning against the door frame to watch the two boys in their moment of disaster. "A shame my own little brother and half-brother can't even be manly enough to try and actually win the heart of a rebel for the latter. Funny that he took you down with him today, Chikemuri, considering how much deadweight you're worth to him. You may not have helped, but he sunk deeper."

"It wasn't my fault and you know it, Hanten!" her younger brother retorted, finally noticing she was there with Met as he was getting out some bandages he brought with him for just such an emergency as this one. Ignoring their laughter for the time being, he took the bandages and began to unravel them to cover the minor injury Kurotsuno dealt to Jork's forehead. "Oh, Jork, just stay with me, alright?" he inquired rhetorically, receiving a thumb up from Jork anyway because the goat demon was still somewhat conscious, smiling thankfully as gratitude for his half-brother being there. "Don't worry, I'll make sure you're up again so we can get out of here. I knew we shouldn't have come here today."

"You really shouldn't have," his older sister reminded him by reiterating that very point with a smile. Stepping away from the doorframe, Hanten's smirk widened evilly as she started cracking her knuckles. "Kurotsuno might not have finished the job, but the fun's just beginning. You've only just arrived and I haven't even said hello yet." As she stepped down to the ground, the shadows underneath her expanded a bit to form spikes and tentacles that would've harmed the boys too in addition to her claws and fists. "Come on, little bro, why don't you two stay for a little while."

"Yeah, stay and play!" Met squealed in delight to concur with the demonic girl. "Come play with us, boys!"

Chikemuri scowled at them nervously, keeping his hands around his half-brother in case he needed to whisk Jork away to safety if combat between him and his older sister with her servant as backup initiated. He was fairly talented at performing some demonic abilities at the level of an apprentice in much the same way a witch's pupil was, though the young lad knew not even his prowess could stand up to those of his sister. Even his older brother, Anten, as well as their father, Gyakuten, were no match for her. "Sorry, sis, but we've got important business to attend to," he attempted to get away from them by citing something else they needed to do. "We still have homework to get done for school later."

"Oh?" Hanten inquired sadistically, cocking her head to the side. "Homework, eh? Didn't you already do it?"

"Mine is, but not Jork's," her younger sibling answered honestly. "He still needs my help with it, Hanten."

"I'm sure he does," his sister concurred. "He is a failure of a brother for not doing it and for not bothering to even give a shit about his other schoolwork." She grinned evilly when a malevolent thought came to her, an idea she had to "help" Jork with his studies. "Perhaps a good beating should knock some sense into that brain he never bothers to use. Maybe he'll do better once I, his half-sister, have had a good 'talk' with him. I could achieve much better results than you, the half-brother who sticks up for him and can hardly do anything. Of course, that's because you're a pathetic sack of shit like him, but even so you're both still completely incompetent and useless. I think it'd be a good idea to let me help." Knowing her, Chikemuri figured she was probably going to either beat the shit out of them or outright murder them. "Then again, I suppose nobody would even bat an eye if I so much as literally slaughtered you both here and now." Chikemuri was correct on the latter option and prepared himself for the assault against them. "So, shall I be of aid?"

Unsure of how to defend himself when Jork was still slightly dazed from the blows Kurotsuno dealt to him, Hanten's younger brother looked at her and Met with bated trepidation. Hanten still had her shadows and her fists at the ready, whereas the ghost girl pulled out a minigun and a rocket launcher from somewhere—nobody really cared where exactly because this was Met he was dealing with—and wielded both in each hand. Faced against such opposition, Chikemuri knew there wasn't much of a chance for him and Jork to escape. His older sister could be quite accurate with those shadows once she launched those at him and the guns Met gripped would've ripped them apart too. Her rockets would've caused splash damage in the range of where they exploded upon impact—thus ruining the property which would've definitely infuriated Kurotsuno—and all Met would've needed to do with the minigun was spray and pray for the bullets to actually hit something. Yet again, even that would've destroyed the property as well because it was just overkill which she usually enforced in her killing sprees until Kurotsuno or Hanten ripped her apart to make Met stop whenever she was being stupid by doing or saying something stupid. "We appreciate the aid, but isn't it excessive?"

Met smirked inside her helmet. "Nothing's excessive for you boys," she chirped, looking forward to fighting them. Her arsenal was powerful, way beyond even their abilities even though her weapons were firearms as opposed to whatever demonic abilities they knew and could've utilized. "Don't fret, we won't be gentle with you as always." Her saying that as if the remark was supposed to provide them some measure of comfort clearly wasn't comforting at all. Nonetheless, Met was being honest with them even if the truth hurt just as her weapons and Hanten's shadows would have, so perhaps that in of itself was a minor pleasantry the boys could've been thankful for if the girl's weren't going to kill them or simply beat them up. Hopefully it was the latter so Jork and Chikemuri could've had a chance at surviving. Unfortunately, against such odds as them with the weapons Met wielded and Hanten's own abilities, Chikemuri knew surviving was certainly going to be extremely difficult, maybe even impossible because of their arms and their power.

Despite the odds stacked against them with Jork still out cold somewhat and the girls already armed to the teeth, Chikemuri had to do something. He wasn't sure what aside from attempting to make an impossible retreat, though as he was pondering what to do while they were approaching, his attention was suddenly captured by two other girls who appeared in the entranceway. Just as Hanten was about to strike while Met was going to fire her guns, one of them spoke up immediately to stop them in their tracks before an inconvenient fight could erupt when one wasn't necessary. "May I inquire as to what's going on, Hanten? I could not help but overhear what was happening outside as we were on our way out. Must you try to get into another fight? Is it something you usually partake in?" The tone of her voice was strongly disapproving of their behavior towards the lads as was the look on her face which showed she was quite livid in an adult manner with them too. "I suppose it would be considering you are demons who enjoy this sort of thing, but enough is enough at times, even for you two. It may be in your nature as demons, but some self-restraint with discipline is needed." Surprised at who this girl was, Chikemuri's mouth hung open as she descended the steps with the Gorgon behind her. What shocked him even more was that Hanten actually obeyed nonchalantly with a shrug of her shoulders, raising a hand to gesture for Met to halt her offense as well while the girl came forward to kneel down beside Jork to examine him.

"Y-you're…?" the other boy asked, halting at only that word just as Jork was regaining consciousness. His half-brother's eyes flitted open slowly and his vision was blurry, but eventually the young goat demon saw the girl as well.

"A-an angel?" he murmured slowly, initially confused at the sight of an angel in the underworld. At first he believed Kurotsuno had become an angel who'd take him up into a heavenly paradise where they could finally be together. His grogginess contributed to that impression, though as his vision cleared he could make out a much different angelic individual looking down at him wearing a concerned expression on her face. "Am I in heaven, Miss Angel?" he inquired, wondering if it was indeed possible that she had indeed taken him to a peaceful heaven. "Is Kurotsuno here?" That was his second question to the angel looking down at him, though Hanten answered it by slamming her foot on him.

"Nope, still alive, half-brother," she commented nonchalantly and immediately pulled her leg back in case the angelic girl seized it to throw her off balance and make her fall. "Spared, but still alive and well in the Devil's Kingdom."

Jork looked disappointed at that remark. "Oh…so it's no heavenly paradise for Kurotsuno and I, then?"

"Sorry, it never is," Met giggled and turned to address the angel and her Gorgon companion. "So, Macarona, you and Medouco had your fun today. You enjoyed the lunch we served, right? Heading back to Nightrise Castle now?"

"Yes," the young angel replied to her inquiry. "The pasta was good, I enjoyed it. My compliments to the chef, though I am afraid we must be going now. There are still some things I'd like to do in Zlienderstrom today." Directing her focus back down to Jork as the ghost girl headed back inside with a wave of goodbye since Met heard Reina call her from within, Macarona brushed locks of hair from her eyes and gently felt the area where Kurotsuno had harmed Jork for a brief analysis of the injury he must've sustained. Next she turned to the demonic maid in the nurse's outfit to address her following her examination of the spot. "Medouco, could you please heal him? He requires medical attention at once."

"Oh, but of course, Macarona," Medouco responded and kneeled down too. Chanting something in another language, she shut her eyes and applied one of her hands to Jork's head. A small, bright light of golden color emanated from her hand to heal the pain he felt and the wound Kurotsuno caused when she smacked him with her wing. Once the healing was done, she removed her hand and stood up next to Macarona as the angel helped him up. "There, all healed," she remarked while Jork dusted himself off with the help of his half-brother. "That should be more than enough for a minor injury such as the one you received. I'd have applied more healing, but then that would've used up too much of my magic unnecessarily. Hopefully the spell was sufficient to have fulfilled that purpose to the fullest extent required."

"Oh, no, it was quite alright, really, Miss," Jork stated a bit sheepishly, thankful she healed him. "I do feel a tad better already now in spite of how things went a few minutes ago." Sighing in somber exhaustion next, the young goat demon sagged his shoulders down miserably because once again he had failed to impress Kurotsuno even if she did take the OCHO chocolates. "Man, I wish Kurotsuno would've been a little nicer in her rejection this time. For once I bought something she likes and she goes ahead to not express gratitude for it. After I saved up so much to buy it for her…"

"Nah, don't expect such appreciation from Kurotsuno anytime soon or ever for that matter, kid," Hanten said to dash that hope to the ground where his dream of making Kurotsuno happy and being her boyfriend died. Both were in a grave dug to store the remains of that dream and the hope it was also known as, a tomb large enough for anything Jork wished for whenever it pertained to the demonic girl he loved. It contained all of his attempts to please and woo her as the final resting place for nightmares of his failures to haunt him in life. "She's already spared your life this once in exchange for her chocolates you've so graciously purchased on her behalf for her. Well, technically she left you and Chikemuri to the dogs, Met and I strictly speaking. At least she herself wasn't participating in the little sport that had yet to be begun, so consider that a small, if rather uncaring, benefit. Besides, she did say for you to get off the property; Kurotsuno wouldn't like it if she discovered we destroyed it in routing you from the premises. So do us a favor and get out of here if you value your lives, boys. Trust me, I could kill you now if I wanted to, but the property value comes first and foremost to us."

"Weren't you going to hurt them anyway?" Macarona deadpanned, suspicious of how Hanten said that.

"Well, yeah, of course I was, Macarona. It'd have been fun," the demonic girl admitted casually without a care in the world for what the young angel thought of her response. "I wouldn't have destroyed the property, though. Met would've been in serious trouble if she fired some shots from the firearms she'd been wielding. I wouldn't have done anything about it, though, because it would've been hilarious seeing her get the shit beaten out of her for it. Though I suppose you do have something of a point, Macarona, for by not doing anything I would've also gotten in huge trouble too. Not that I care, of course, but I'd rather not deal with the problem of having to call the landscaping geomancers and pay them to restore the property to its full glory. Kurotsuno likes this forest we're in, lots of good vantage points for watching the moon and all. Restoring the property might get rid of those vantage points and replace them with new ones she'll have to find. Believe me, she hates going to the trouble for that as it wastes valuable time of watching the moon."

"I see…" the angel responded, but her facial expression hadn't changed even if she raised an eyebrow.

"Well, in any case we've got to be going," Medouco spoke up, turning to bow towards Hanten in appreciation of having been extended an invitation into Moonshadow Manor. "We are very grateful to Miss Kurotsuno for allowing us the opportunity to visit today so that Macarona could learn more about the Devil's Kingdom. If you'll excuse us, we must be going now as we would like to get back before the guards notice we do not have an escort in this district."

"What's that?" Chikemuri inquired out of curiosity. "You require a guide to bring you back into town?"

Macarona nodded. "Indeed, we do. Medouco might be a maid, but doesn't have enough authority to—"

"Aw, don't sweat the details, Miss Angel," Jork brushed aside her explanation with a polite wave of his hand. "Chikemuri and I can take you back since we're allowed and are known to the guards. If they see you with us, they won't think to question you. You both were nice to help me, so it's the least we can do in return." The young goat demon extended a hand out to shake Macarona's. "Allow me to introduce ourselves. My name's Jork, and this is my half-brother, Chikemuri. I came to see Kurotsuno and he tagged along, though as you might've guessed, that didn't turn out well."

Macarona smiled, returning the gesture. "Sure, thanks, Jork. I'm Macarona and this is Medouco."

"Are you sure it'd be alright, Jork?" Chikemuri questioned his half-brother. "She is an angel. The town guards might wonder why we, who are unlikely to be associated with angels, would be in the company of one to begin with."

"Come on, Chikemuri, it'll be fine," Jork assured the other demonic boy. "We'll just tell them they helped us out with something and that we're leading them back into town as thanks for healing me. I'm sure they'll give us the benefit of the doubt when they see us heading in that direction. I mean, it's not like they'd take offense and start attacking us, right?"

Chikemuri sighed in exasperation, uncertain if it was going to be that easy. "Somehow I still doubt that…"

…

"Thanks again for your patronage," he responded once he had finished speaking with them when they had paid their check for the meal. "Please, come again." Strolling between the shelves of liquor and various other drinks like sodas and the counter which stood across from these shelves, the demonic man headed into his back office to store the check with the money his customers paid in a closet. Opening the door and stepping inside the plain office space consisting only of a desk with two wooden chairs and several filing cabinets next to a bulletin board, Maekami strode in and made his way towards the closet door residing on the other side just behind the desk at a southwestern position in the room. A number of files and documents hung from the bulletin board regarding upcoming events, business rules, and the daily wages whereas all the tax returns and other financial papers such as the bar's mortgage and trade credits on the products he sold were found in the filing cabinets. He had no need of either now since he was opening the closet to put away the check, removing a personal safe deposit box he kept in there to store checks until they could be added on file and stored in the filing cabinets once the records of each check were written down. Opening the box after he scrolled the number codex on the combination lock to the right combination, he placed the one he had inside with the abundance of other checks before shutting it to lock the box. With the check safely inside, Maekami placed the box back where it went in the closet.

Hearing the sound of footsteps approaching the office and entering, the demonic man turned to find one of the waitresses standing in his office. "Sir," she commented to get his attention now that she had it, "there is a customer requesting to speak with you up at the counter. It is the Witch of Shadows, sir." Watching him place a bent finger to his chin, the waitress gazed upon her boss as wondered what he planned to do about their guest. "Will you go see her?"

He nodded. "Yes, I do believe it'll be alright to see what Miss Chlomaki wants," Maekami stated and exited his office with her. "Do return to work and I'll oversee her order." Once the maid departed following an affirmation of his instruction, the demonic man walked over to the end of the counter to find the very witch who requested to see him. Seeing her seated at the end increased the number of steps he had to take which was nothing more than a short distance from where his office and the cash register were, but the very brief trek was no issue. "You wanted to see me, Chlomaki?"

Raising her head, the witch dressed entirely in black clothing consisting of a turtleneck dress covered in belts adorned by silver buckles and gray stockings for her legs with white gloves over her hands looked up at him. Her boots and hat were of the same color as her dress, the hat especially matching the dress because it too bore a belt with a silver buckle. Protruding out of it were her cat ears that fit the cat tail she had. Chlomaki's hair, which reached down to the floor, was all black too and it draped loosely down even as the front of it possessed layers with the longest of them reaching just below her shoulders whereas her other bangs were over her face. A hair tie much like the belts on her dress and hat was keeping the looser hair behind her done up in a ponytail, though the tie was located at the bottom of her hair where the silver buckle could be seen clearly rather than being concealed at the top. "Yep, sure did," she answered him amicably, eyes glazing back to the menu she held in her hands. "Burritos with some champagne, please. Any champagne is fine."

Maekami nodded and began to follow through with her request. "Certainly, it shall be ready in a bit. If I may inquire, what is it that brings you into town today? Usually you're lounging in Nightfall Castle or out of the underworld."

Chlomaki shrugged. "Nothing much, really, I heard there was an angel from another world in town. Ludwig mentioned she was staying in Nightrise Castle, though I haven't had an opportunity to visit so I could confirm it. Then I find myself with time off and decide to go, but discover she's already left with two of the other employees. They've gone to the Magnus District, specifically to Moonshadow Manor. I just thought I'd stop for a bite to eat before heading over."

"Ah, the angel," the demonic man said as he recalled seeing her yesterday even though he too hadn't had a chance to speak with her. "She was here yesterday too with Medouco. They had dined with Hersilia and Albino for lunch following the angel's victory over some of our Devil's goons. They paid quite a hefty tip for my employees." As the drink was being prepared for the witch, Maekami turned to put forth a reasonable question to her. "Would it not have been prudent to go straight for the Magnus District instead of stopping by? I appreciate your patronage, Chlomaki, though if this angel is important enough to warrant your attention, perhaps it'd have been better to see her right away rather than linger."

"Eh, maybe you're right, Maekami," the Witch of Shadows admitted without leaving her seat, shutting her black eyes and waving her hand as if she were brushing the concern aside. "Though I'll wait a little longer. She might still be busy seeing Kurotsuno and the other girls, so I'll hang out here for a spell and then fly over to check if she's available." Chlomaki's smile became a frown as she sighed, putting an elbow on the counter to rest her chin in her hand. She shut her eyes, obviously thinking about something else that had been on her mind. "You know, I kind of miss Lobco. She was fun to tease, but then she requested permission to move to the Witch World. Nowadays I'm too busy to visit my estate there, what with the upcoming war the Gentleman Devil's planning for the Gray Garden. It'll be a while before I see her."

"Do recall that her decision was made because of Roc and the rest of our society in this hell. Compared to what you've put the poor girl through, what Roc would've done would've been far worse than anything you've done," the demonic man said to clarify that bit. "Besides, wasn't it you who approved the request at once and came back saying she ingratiated herself with the Great Witch? You did allow her to reside there permanently, correct? I believe attempting to remove her would upset her greatly and risk incurring disfavor with the Great Witch whom you've curried favor with."

Again, Chlomaki shrugged. "Maybe you're right, Maekami. I can let Lobco off the hook, but maybe the angel would be a new plaything for me. She might get along with some of my other familiars." Once again she sighed, but this time it was a pleasant sigh as she opened her eyes once she finished daydreaming of meeting the angel. "Hopefully I'll be able to meet up with her soon. If she's to be a prisoner, I'd like to try making her a familiar—my first angelic familiar."

…

"So, what brings an angel like you to the Devil's Kingdom?" Chikemuri had asked while they were walking through the forest as he and his half-brother were leading the girls back to Zlienderstrom. "Surely you're from the Corporate Heaven, am I right? Here to conduct business or negotiations of a sort with some government agent or a CEO of some enterprise that would benefit both parties?" He had not heard about the latest current events even though he became a tad familiar with what seemed to be a growing conflict between this underworld and another world. If he had, Chikemuri would've been better knowledgeable about the situation. So would've Jork if he paid attention to the issue. That inquiry only garnered a sigh from Macarona and he didn't know why, but thought he had offended her slightly. However, he couldn't speak up again to try apologizing for putting forth such an inquiry because she answered anyway.

"Seems I'm getting that a lot lately, and I haven't even been in this hell for all that long," the angelic girl said, making eye contact with him once she stated this detail. Macarona wanted to tell them the truth, how she was spirited away from her home world by Satanick when he framed her for murdering Daimonji after he showed up to reclaim his wife. Yet she recalled Reina's advice pertaining to Jork and Chikemuri; the fox youkai spoke of them already despite Macarona recalling that she already heard about the boys before from Albino and Hersilia. Reina had told her to keep the truth a secret from them because Jork was Yagi's son, thereby incurring the risk of him informing his father about it. "Sightseeing for a school report, basically," Macarona responded with the fabricated cover story the fox youkai said would've satisfied them. "Medouco's an old friend of mine and I'm thankful she was available to be my guide for the duration of my stay in Zlienderstrom. It's a shame I do not have the time to see the rest of the Devil's Kingdom."

Medouco nodded, confirming the lie since Reina instructed her to play along with it too. She knew what the consequences of not following along were just as she was aware of the ramifications for doing so. The poor maid was still conflicted over the issue of which side to pick, yet knowing Sibuna was investigating current events in the underworld forced Medouco to lean towards Macarona. Acquiring a reputation of infamy for having worked under a Devil who committed crimes outlawed by the royal dynasty that ruled all underworlds would've been a serious offense even if she had only been a maid. Although the Gorgon probably wouldn't be arrested and charged for being a coconspirator who aided and abetted the real felons, the fact remained that she nonetheless served them as a maid despite it not being by choice—her free will. That alone would've been enough to ruin her reputation by crippling it with harmful gossip and rumors alleging she did nothing to try and stop the Gentleman Devil and his associates from committing the crimes. "Indeed," she commented shyly, drawing closer to Macarona out of fear the demonic lads would've uncovered their ruse and report it to the authorities. However, it also helped cement the ideal of her being the angel's friend which she was rather fond of because of how nice Macarona was. "I've known her from my time studying at university up within the Corporate Heaven. She was actually the only friend I've made there, and we've been quite close since then despite the separation in our lives regarding our respective civilizations and the work we do which has kept us apart for a while."

"Wow, you sure go way back, huh?" Jork remarked rhetorically in admiration of their bond, unaware they've been fudging the truth. The girls' history was indeed false, but the friendship certainly wasn't. The boys didn't know that, however, and thus believed their story. "I would've never expected a demon like you would've been accepted into a prestigious academic institution up in some heaven, Medouco, especially our world's. You must've got in because of special circumstances, but pay me no mind on that." He sighed blissfully, thinking about Kurotsuno. "You know, the same could be said for Kurotsuno and I; we've known each other our whole lives too, ever since we were young."

"You mean since freshman year of high school," Chikemuri corrected him on that with a declarative statement. "We've still been freshmen for a few years now, Jork; a lot of the other students are making progress whereas we are being held back with some other students who've not made as much progress as them. Kurotsuno's already excelled in each of her classes as has Hanten, Hersilia, Albino, Bis, and others like them. They're the few girls who got that far by managing to keep up with the smarter boys while we've not made too much of a dent in our courses," he explained.

"Wait, those girls managed to succeed in school?" Macarona inquired, surprised at how rare examples like the girls she knew could've accomplished that much in a high school. Medouco was among them as well since she went to a university in the Corporate Heaven in spite of her enrollment only being possible because of connections to the place. Even so, what she heard about the schooling system in the Devil's Kingdom implied that girls weren't treated fairly at school even if they did well. Hearing otherwise regardless of how many girls were mentioned made it seem otherwise. "I thought girls weren't as successful based on what I heard about the schooling system so far. Are there truly girls who possess a significant chance at doing well with what they have and are given, or is that due to bribes and whatnot?"

"The bribes do enable a chance for girls to get an education, but it is up to them to succeed," Medouco clarified for her angelic companion. "They must put in the effort with what they have and they must acquire more by themselves on their own. The schools won't give anything to them as they would with the boys. Those few girls who accomplish so much may eventually be recognized by their teachers for such endeavors as unique examples of successful girls in our civilization. However, their admiration will be kept secret even if anything they do such as offering better assignments displays their favor of the few girls who attract their veneration. Nonetheless, girls are still widely recognized as being unsuccessful by many due to the social and cultural restrictions on women in the Devil's Kingdom that inhibit them while blinding men from seeing how effective, needed, and successful women really are. Although that is the public sphere of influence over this and other relevant matters pertaining to the success of women, privately few men do acknowledge achievements women have earned. They just don't do so publically, and will likely soon forget all about it because of society's perspectives on women being inferior to men in general." Her explanation made sense in addition to revealing something intrinsic to development in the Devil's Kingdom which Macarona began to ponder on as Medouco spoke.

Women, despite being unappreciated and undervalued in this underworld, were still capable of performing well too; men weren't the only gender based demographic to succeed as women clearly did possess the drive and means of accomplishing what men did. Whether it was just as good or if much better than men, Macarona now realized a shot at reforming the Devil's Kingdom was indeed possible. She had her hopes from the very beginning ever since Lil spoke about what her underworld was like when they first met in the Shadowed Sanctuary and then further elaborated on it in the Gray Garden. Her hopes, while not entirely diminished, may have become doubts because of what she experienced and witnessed in the Devil's Kingdom itself. Yet examples of the girls she had met and institutions like Zlienderstrom's Thieves' Guild under Yarg Xof proved it was indeed certainly possible. Even the examples of Killie and GriRea, the former of whom she never met yet despite hearing about her while knowing the latter personally, proved it too. Even though GriRea herself might've had more power as the Queen, she still lived in this hell and was thus an example to demonstrate the ideal of equality for women who could acquire the necessities in life and accomplish so much on par with men. The public sphere made it appear difficult, especially with the strife of alliances being formed and broken with conflicts erupting between enemies of all sorts. Fortunately, however, in secret the notions of reform and equality were quite possible. All that needed to be done was make the demands for social equality and reform heard loud and clear, however difficult that might've been. It would've been a severe alteration of this civilization, but it would have helped.

"So does that mean it is possible for this underworld to be reformed so that equality for all can truly happen?" Macarona inquired hopefully, wishing it were true so that the demons of the Devil's Kingdom could improve their lifestyles. The young angel understood that not all of them would've been pleased with that kind of change because they would've lost power and wealth. For once they, the men, on the level of society as a whole, would've had to share both with women rather than it just being a few examples like Sullivan, Yatsuzaki, and Shikabone. Such a social upheaval would've definitely improved society by ushering in equal rights for everyone. Yet Macarona also knew it would not happen right away as the alterations would've taken time to be constructed and implemented into society after plenty of discussion and experimentation to determine how beneficial it would've been while eliminating as many downsides as possible. Those consequences might've been extreme and could've brought about great disasters, some of which may have been more difficult to mend than other issues raised by the changes. Still, Macarona had hope all would be well.

She knew Lil was hopeful too. Thinking of the demonic lady now, Macarona wondered how she was doing in the Gray Garden and how her home world was faring with preparations for defending itself from Satanick and his forces. Obviously news was traveling as quickly as possible about the threat, though she wondered what their allies in other worlds would've thought about the conflict. The Flower World of Rosaliya might've been against it to preserve their commercial ties with the Gray Garden. So would've the Shadowed Sanctuary of Reficul, yet both of them were still Devils and might have stayed out of the war for that reason even if they did not support either Kcalb and Etihw or Satanick. Macarona knew Mors was going to inform both of his parents about what she told him, so maybe there was a chance Reficul and Sin would've joined in if they could. Perhaps even the Flower World would've too; Macarona was friends with Sin and Rosaliya after all, and she supposed it was possible they would've helped out of friendship. The Corporate Heaven of this world was another ally of theirs too and could've fought to preserve the commercial ties as well, and Fumus might've also opposed the Devil of his world acting against an allied world he considered a friend to his civilization. As commercial ties were the primary motivation, perhaps Fumus could rally other heavens to the cause as well to fight for the sake of preserving those links since she knew his heaven provided some of the goods sent to him to other heavens. Even GriRea, when she heard about all this through Sibuna, could've acted to stop Satanick; as the Queen she could've ordered him to step down and investigate what the Gentleman Devil was involved in and doing too.

Then again, maybe none of them would've come to help, leaving the Gray Garden all alone against a Devil putting his own interests—and those of Warwick, the Business Devil, since Satanick was colluding with him—first. Macarona hoped it wouldn't come to that so the fighting could be prevented before it even began, but she knew time wasn't on her side. It was running out fast, and she hadn't done much on her end despite talking to others. She had no concrete evidence, only her testimony. Being in a position where she couldn't do much but talk was frustrating since she was on her own in an underworld unfamiliar to her where she only made a few friends and acquaintances among the demons. The war was approaching quickly, and Macarona knew something just had to happen in order to put an end to everything before everything and everyone she cherished was put to the sword and either slain or captured like her. The sheer intensity of her situation weighed heavily on her, but she'd shoulder the weight anyway because of her hope.

"I'm afraid not, Macarona," Medouco tipped her head down sadly, acknowledging the reality that was the Devil's Kingdom. "Even though their admiration is secret, they'll put themselves and their own interests first as usual."

Macarona tipped her own head down as well. "I see…" she murmured aloud, shutting her eyes while still wishing for the best. For now she had done all she could to help her world as best she could. Now it was up to fate.

Noticing how depressed Macarona seemed to be, Jork's own eyes widened for a bit in concern as the group stopped. He was unaware of what was actually transpiring since nobody ever told him anything. Chikemuri might've mentioned something about a war against another world going on, but the goat demon hadn't really paid any attention to that subject. Only Kurotsuno would get his one-track mind on her listening which was why Jork had been oblivious to any and all current events. Despite knowing absolutely nothing, he felt a nerve within Macarona had somehow been struck and that he and Chikemuri might've unintentionally had a hand in upsetting her. Had he known the truth, he'd be better understanding of the situation more so than he was now. As it was, to him this was simply another screw-up of his. Wanting to cheer the angel up and keep them walking since the group stopped when Macarona did, Jork simply shut his eyes and smiled widely, pulling his half-brother into a hug of sorts by throwing an arm around him. Raising the other arm, the goat demon closed three of his fingers except for the index and middle fingers to form a peace sign. "Don't fret, Macarona, you've got us here! Nothing bad is going to happen with a couple of strong guys like us on your side!"

"What, are you hitting on her now?" Chikemuri asked as both Macarona and Medouco blinked in surprise at Jork's eager statement. Even he had to admit it was a bit surprising to him that Jork was finally finding another girl.

"Nope, Kurotsuno's still my gal!" his half-brother still clung to the notion of Kurotsuno returning her affections for him—her nonexistential affections, anyway, for she still absolutely despised Jork with every fiber of her being. "I'm just trying to cheer Macarona up, that's all. These two did heal me, after all." Technically it was Medouco who healed him, but Jork obviously didn't care about the technicalities of such small details. Macarona did ask the Gorgon maid to heal him and the demonic girl followed through without question. To Jork that was enough to justify his attempts at making them happy as friends even if he wouldn't fall in love with either of them. Only Kurotsuno was the girl for him, even if Kurotsuno herself didn't want to be the girl for him and was adamantly against it. Nevertheless his enthusiasm was enough to accomplish just what he sought to do now by making the young angel smile and giggle a bit, thankful he was considering her feelings even if he didn't know the truth she and Medouco withheld. "See, she's now happy again."

"Gee, thanks, Jork, that was really thoughtful of you," she complimented him, grateful for his concern. "It sure does mean a lot to me knowing I've got friends with me." Half-thinking she probably should've told him and Chikemuri the truth about her even though he was Yagi's son, Macarona opened her eyes with a small smile on her face to show her gratitude. As a prisoner in the Devil's Kingdom, she had expected something bad would've happened; she just didn't know where and when, and unfortunately she suddenly realized she'd been caught off guard until this very last moment. Her eyes suddenly widened at the sight of a lightning bolt coupled with a fireball and a large shard of ice approaching them at a fast speed. Only she had seen it, for the magical attacks were heading straight for them from behind the boys who didn't see it. Medouco hadn't witnessed it either, but panicked slightly when she saw Macarona's reaction and figured out something was wrong. Instinctively the angelic girl rushed forward instantly and tackled Jork and Chikemuri to the ground to protect them from the oncoming assault that appeared to be meant for them. "GET DOWN!" she screamed as the magical assault went over them while Medouco shrieked and tripped when she hurried to duck too. Another shard of ice followed suit, exploding when a lightning bolt struck it to rain down sharp shards of hailstone upon them. In an effort to get away, Macarona grabbed the boys' collars and heaved them into the bushes as the Gorgon followed. More shards became water, extinguishing the flames that threatened to spread due to the fireball that exploded. Once they were safely out of harm's way, however, Macarona looked to the boys. "You guys alright?" she inquired.

Chikemuri nodded, startled by the sudden assault, but fine nonetheless. "Y-yeah," he murmured quietly.

"Whoa, just what the heck was that?!" Jork, the more panicked of the group besides Medouco, cried out, not bothering to poke his head out of the cover they found behind a large tree that had fallen over days ago. Thankfully this problem hadn't been fixed yet, so the four of them were able to use it for some protection. "Did a mage just attack us?!" His reference to a mage was largely ignored by the others, however, for they were all concerned with other relevant problems. Chikemuri was worried about himself and his half-brother. Medouco was terrified for her life, clenching her hands over her mouth so her breathing wouldn't give their position away; she went very ashen and trembled timidly. Macarona, meanwhile, had poked her head out from their little hideaway to determine who or what threatened them, scanning the area for anything amiss. Her eyes glazed over the ground and the sky, carefully analyzing both to scrutinize any and all threats that were now present. "W-where are the guards?! S-shouldn't they be doing something about this?!"

"I somehow have the feeling they won't…" the angel said softly, but still made sure they heard her. While Macarona hadn't wanted to give them the bad news, it appeared she had no choice. "Though I don't believe they're responsible for this either. They wouldn't want to offend the property owners if their own lives and wages are more important to them." Her guesses were mere speculation without the identity of their attacker—or more than one—or any details that could've helped her uncover what was going on. Yet Macarona believed she was correct that the guards weren't involved in this due to the very reason she stated. Unless they were ordered to do so, however, they wouldn't because of the armed mercenaries the aristocrats kept on their properties. "Something tells me it's somebody else…"

"B-but who could it be then if it's not them?" Chikemuri inquired nervously, starting to shiver too. "Mer—"

"I already considered the sellswords too," Macarona interrupted him. "They wouldn't attack either unless it was ordered, or if they were seeking to cause some trouble for fun. Unfortunately for them, this property is owned by the daughter of a government employee who could bring their misconduct to the attention of his superiors. They'd get in trouble for acting out too because it'd tarnish whatever ties their employers have with the property owners of this land. That doesn't mean it still can't be them since they're a possibility too, just like the guards." Turning her head to glance at Jork and Chikemuri, she narrowed her eyes at the two demonic lads. "Even so, I doubt it's them. Nonetheless, whoever's assailing us must be stopped before further chaos is sewn to create more damage. Can you guys run back to the manor?"

"Moonshadow Manor?!" Chikemuri exclaimed in surprise, baffled as to why the angel suggested that place. "B-but we'd probably be killed by those girls back there if we were to return! T-they'd turn us away without hesitation!"

Not wanting to argue with them, Macarona seized his shoulders and glared at him to make him listen. "Don't argue with me, Chikemuri! We don't have time to worry about that! Just get to safety now and we'll draw whoever's attacking us away!" Her allusion of 'we' covered only her and Medouco, making the poor Gorgon's eyes widen in fear because she couldn't believe Macarona was willing to go up against this unknown threat and involve her too. While the demonic maid would've preferred to go with the boys and make sure they got to safety, she couldn't abandon the angel. She was under orders after being requested by Macarona herself to be the young angel's warden, hence why she was not allowed to leave Macarona alone by herself. Another reason was because she was worried about the angelic girl as a friend. Although Chikemuri would've tried to debate with her further, Jork tore his half-brother away from Macarona.

"Got it, Macarona! We'll head straight there!" Safety for them was his priority as was making the attack known.

Breathing a sigh of relief as she watched them flee, Macarona turned to Medouco. "You with me, Medouco?"

The poor maid's horrified eyes widened a bit further as her pupils dilated. "H-huh, w-w-wha?!" she squeaked timidly, badly startled by the angel's remark addressing her. It snapped her out of a frightful reverie that begun when Macarona mentioned they'd be handling this problem. More ice shards fell upon them, piercing the tree they hid behind for cover; evidently their pursuer found them and the sight of these shards made Medouco scream in terror since some almost got embedded in her. Falling back away from the log, her screams filled the air as she watched more shoot right towards her face once she was no longer behind cover. Fortunately, Macarona quickly seized the maid and dashed forward to get away again, further retreating into the forest with her Gorgon companion right beside her. "B-but what c-can I-I-I d-do?! I-I'm just a maid and a-a-a healer! I-I-I can't fight back with you, Macarona!" she protested timidly.

"I know," her angelic friend responded and turned to look at her as they fled. "Your healing spells are exactly what I need right now, Medouco. You must know some long range healing spells that can reach me from afar, right?"

"U-u-uh, y-yes, I-I-I d-do—" the maid squealed in horror as another lightning bolt whizzed by above her, narrowing striking them both. It just hit a tree branch above the route they were taking, setting fire to the tree while the branch fell once it was broken off. Macarona managed to notice it and leapt to jump over it as they ran, but Medouco hadn't and shrieked when she tripped over it. Losing her balance, the Gorgon continued to scream as she fell. Another shard of ice was hurtling towards her, though Macarona nearly sprained her ankle when she turned abruptly to catch her friend and sprint to the left with the maid in her arms so that Medouco wouldn't trip again. "I-I d-do know some!"

Macarona nodded, throwing her head to the side for a look at their assailant now that she had a clear look to glance upon whoever it was. Her eyes widened somewhat when she saw an angel with four wings flying in the sky, one in a light blue-green maid uniform decorated with flowers, her brown laced boots suggesting she was a gardener and a groundskeeper of sorts. The other angel's black hair done up in twintails adorned by white ribbons blew in the wind as she flew after them, an enraged expression on her face as she was breathing heavily. More shards of ice couple with some fireballs materialized around her, circling the assailant while she threw a hand out to send vines littered along the ground after her targets. The fireballs shot forward, merging with the ice to produce cold blue flames that hit the vines to trail along them and lash out like whips. "YOU ARE SO DEAD!" this angel screamed at them in rage, continuing the assault.

…

Watching the fight play out from afar, two guards on patrol had stopped by to witness the conflict unfold. As their orders were to find a suitable spot to observe Cosmea kill the other angel so that they could move in and arrest her afterwards, the two demons saw no reason why they shouldn't have made themselves comfortable. One of them, a halberdier in a brigandine cuirass and chainmail leggings, took his halberd and placed it upon the ground to take it up for when the fight finished. "Who you betting on?" he asked the other, a battlemage in plate armor assigned to observe the conflict with him. "Boss says either one can win this fight, but that we should head in to do our job by cleaning the mess."

The battlemage shrugged, setting his staff aside as well with the mace sheathed at his side while taking a seat to join his comrade. "Beats me, but who cares? Still, my money's on the Cherub angel; she's mad as hell after what had happened to her lover from what I heard. Then there's the other angel with only the maid; she knows healing spells if I recall correctly, but Mr. Satanick says he can always find another one. She's not the only demon he can send into the Corporate Heaven, you know?" he chuckled with the halberdier snickering with him. "You betting on her as well, or should we oppose one another just to make things fair? How about whoever wins pays for dinner later?" he offered.

"Deal," the halberdier accepted the term and turned to look back at the fight when his attention was suddenly drawn by a nearby girl walking towards them. Recognizing her by the pitch black attire she was garbed in, he smirked while addressing her since she showed up to join them. "Oi, Chlomaki! Here to see how things turn out? We've got quite the show on our hands here. Not every day the bloody Witch of Shadows out and about doing god knows what."

"Oh, that's cute, I'm sure Bloody Mary would appreciate the bloody allusion," Chlomaki joked and raised an arm to put her hand over her eyes so she could squint to make out the combatants. "So, who's fighting who now?"

"Cosmea against Macarona and Medouco," the battlemage answered coldly. "You understand that much, or have you become so blind you can't even make who's who from this distance? It's angel versus angel, Chlomaki."

"And a demonic maid from Nightrise Castle?" the Witch of Shadows asked rhetorically. "Even Sagan can see that." Her nonchalantly casual retort was followed by her setting down the broomstick she rode for travel while she claimed a seat next to the battlemage. "By the way," she then asked and turned to look at them with a smile that came across so cheerfully it was actually quite creepy. "You guys don't plan on stopping this fight for any reason, do you?"

…

Her screams echoed throughout the forest as they were fleeing through the trees, crystal shards of ice and hail raining down upon them as the vines lashed out to try and trip the pair up. "T-this is a-a disaster! T-this is bad! W-we're going to die, w-we're not going to make it!" the poor Gorgon shrieked, nearly stumbling when her angelic companion seized her to leap over a log as they neared a cliff. It was on purpose, however, for Macarona intentionally wanted to leap down from their current location and take cover in a well-fortified position that would've provided better protection. As luck would've had it, her decision proved to be a wise choice since there were enough boulders at the bottom for her and Medouco to hide behind. Additionally there was the matter of defense in the form of something above them to block further attacks from the opposing angel. Pulling the maid close to her as they hid in a small alcove, Macarona took a few steps towards the entrance after gently pushing Medouco behind her to protect the Gorgon. However, said Gorgon quickly grabbed the angel's arm to pull her back so their enemy wouldn't spot her at a distance. "M-Macarona, wait, d-don't go! T-that angel's still out there!" she protested, trying to reason with Macarona. "S-she'll see us and attack!"

"I know, Medouco, I shan't deny that," Macarona concurred with her assessment, but gently released the grip upon her to resume her action. "I just want to get a better look at our opponent if I can, that's all." Saying so she slowly approached the outside shielded by boulders and carefully peered into the sky for any sign of the angel. Feeling a hand on her shoulder and hearing the slithering of snakes brought her comfort knowing Medouco was still there. Usually those signs would've startled somebody by giving the individual a bad scare, especially if they were afraid of ghosts, monsters, and snakes, though the young angel had no fear because there was no other way into this alcove than where she and Medouco came in. Besides, it was she herself who brought the Gorgon in. Breathing made her neck feel a tad cold, probably because the maid was standing that close to her which wouldn't have been a good thing had Macarona gotten impaled—in which case Medouco would've been impaled too through her. That was why she preferred for Medouco to stand back and be safe, but the angel had to admit it would've been helpful if the maid could identify their opponent.

Speaking of the very devil herself—who actually wasn't a Devil since she was an angel as Macarona had already deduced the assailant was a female angel—she finally emerged from above the cliff to fly over the area. Shards of ice flew everywhere, piercing the ground and shattering against the boulders. A few would've pierced Macarona and Medouco had they not moved back. Luckily it appeared the other angel hadn't noticed where they'd gone and flew further out from where the alcove was. Throwing her head to her left, she breathed a sigh of relief knowing they hadn't gone very far and didn't leave the property consisting of these acres that made up the forest. Her quarry might not have departed that fast already, but the fact they had approached a large clearing located right at a lake meant it should've been relatively easy to spot her and that demon. Looking below at the lake itself, she made the decision to cast a powerful spell so she could freeze the lake. The attempt to drown them could've worked, and she'd have known they both were there because her quarry would've busted through the ice at some point if they couldn't locate another way out. The angel up within the sky felt a bit relieved despite accounting for that; she had already damaged some land on one of the properties within the Magnus District. Further destruction would've angered more homeowners if her rage and desire for seeking justice and vengeance brought her to other properties. Sighing as she descended for a better look around the area, she thought of how she could best explain this to the property owners of these forested acres. "Maybe I should've asked for their assistance instead of blindly attacking at first sight…" she murmured quietly to herself. "I'm in deep trouble now." Thankfully it was just a bit of damage compared to how much would've been done if her rampage went further beyond where it began, so although there might've been some legal repercussions that would've cost her, it wouldn't lead to war.

Gazing at her from their hiding place, Macarona and Medouco cautiously crept behind the boulders towards a spot advantageous to them. Even though their new cover was a group of trees fortified by dense foliage preventing their attacker from seeing them effectively, if she shot a fireball at them it would've erupted into an instant forest fire which might've gotten too out of control for her to handle. From the looks of it, though, it appeared the other angel was now calming down a bit to avoid causing further uncontrolled chaos. Peering through the vines and heavy moss growing on the trees, Macarona made sure her breathing was quiet to avoid giving their position away. Watching the angel come down to land on the lake she just froze over, the young angel observed how their opponent was carefully trying to balance herself on it to avoid falling. Knowing the ice was slippery gave her an upper hand if she could use its physics to her advantage as she'd be able to slide towards the other fighter. However, as the ice made it hard to maneuver effectively, Macarona knew attempting to get up would've been difficult unless the other angel's attacks threw herself off balance. "Looks like she hasn't found us even if she suspects we're still here," she whispered to Medouco, analyzing the angel's appearance. "Judging by the number of wings she has, I'd say she must be a pretty powerful angel from where she's from. Do you think she could be from the Corporate Heaven, Medouco?" she asked, moving slightly to let her look.

"I don't know, I don't think I've really seen her all that much…" the demonic maid murmured softly at first. "I-I mean, i-it's possible I might've caught glimpses of her, b-but I haven't really paid too much attention to who she was. The number of wings on her back does indicate she's a Cherub angel. They're a lot stronger than normal angels and come from important families in the heavens," Medouco then explained while continuing to observe said Cherub angel. "Her outfit suggests she's probably a commoner like yourself, though the wings contradict that. Her spells also denote she's a mage of sorts with at least some basic Mancy training. I don't think we've seen her entire repertoire yet, b-but I wouldn't want to stick around to find out. W-we'd most likely not make it out of here alive against a Cherub angel like her."

"Then we could at least try to reason with her, find out why she's attacking us," Macarona suggested. "I would like to know why she chose us over Jork and Chikemuri. Though I'm glad we drew her away from them, she still could have gone after the boys. There must be some kind of motivation behind her choosing us over them when they were helpless against her, something besides choosing who might've been the bigger threat towards her in this skirmish."

"I-I don't know, Macarona," the Gorgon was skeptical, expressing her uncertainty that this had to do with an ulterior motive of some kind. Her own examination of the angelic opponent revealed nothing to her aside from a kind of familiarity as if she had seen this particular angel before. Racking her brain for memories of who she was, where she'd witnessed the angel, and anybody this angel might've been with, Medouco tried her hardest to pinpoint the precise memory she was searching for. So far she only came up blank which depressed her since she wasn't being much use. "You said Mr. Satanick was entering a war with your world, but he does fight with Mr. Fumus on occasion. Even if it were a skirmish rather than an outright war, the two of them have indeed conflicted with one another sometimes."

"Yes…" the angelic girl murmured, pulling the demonic maid away since she caught sight of the opponent glancing directly in the very direction they were in. So far it appeared their attacker hadn't heard them from the middle of the lake, so she was thankful for the distance between them and the fact she and Medouco were whispering. "There's certainly conflict of some degree between heavens and hells in all worlds, Medouco, but I do not think that's the case. She's unarmed, bearing no weapons and no armor. Moreover she's alone with nobody else for backup. If her motive's relevant to such conflict, surely she'd have at least brought some support and came prepared for the fight. No, I don't believe a fight between Mr. Fumus and Mr. Satanick would pertain to our current predicament. There's got to be some other motivation, a purpose why she chose to come after us instead of going after opponents she could probably beat, at least as she is now at any rate. Judging by her plain clothes, I'd say she probably hurried ahead for a rushed motive."

"A rushed motive?" Medouco parroted those words. "You mean to say her reason was found on the spot?" Turning to look at the angel beside her while she was addressing her, she received an affirmative nod in response. "B-but, that doesn't make much sense. Surely she could've put more thought into it rather than leaping out of the frying pan into the fire. Then her motive wouldn't be really clear, even to her. Besides, she's a Cherub angel; she's essentially stronger than most demons even without weapons or armor because her rank in the heavens would be that of a Celestial angel. Furthermore, from the looks of her attacks so far, she's a mage, one who seems quite capable of handling herself well."

"Except by that logic even she wouldn't dare take the risk of fighting under these conditions. If she truly is that powerful as you say, Medouco, surely somebody of her status would consider the risks of encountering a powerful demon. If she's a Cherub angel, she would likely have command over a considerable force within a heavenly army if she's from the army. Despite not being from a military, she could still pose a problem, true. Yet it's nothing Mr. Satanick himself can't handle, and she's certainly within his domain even if he's not present at this specific location himself. He would've probably sensed the presence of a powerful angel like her and would've done something by now at least."

"B-but why isn't he here now?!" Medouco panicked at the thought of her boss abandoning her. She knew the Gentleman Devil certainly was within his rights to regulate the situation as he saw fit, though she was afraid to die. If Satanick didn't make it or send somebody experienced in combating Cherub angels to the scene, she'd be a dead girl.

"Maybe he doesn't see the need to take on a single Cherub angel by himself because it'd be a waste of time," Macarona theorized as to the nature of that circumstance. "Or perhaps he doesn't want to waste troops on her either. There's also the chance it could be both, meaning we cannot rely on him even if it were only one option." Turning to face the Gorgon again after she watched the Cherub angel for a bit more, the young angel looked at Medouco with eyes gleaming with determination. "We have no choice but to take her on ourselves, Medouco, but only I can fight her."

"B-but s-she's a Cherub angel, y-you're not!" the maid protested fearfully. "W-what if you fail to stop her?!"

"You remember yesterday when we were in the Underground Railroad District," her angelic companion stated to jog the Gorgon's memory of that event. "I am the reincarnated descendant of Rigatona, so I may fare well against her. Besides, I've fought the Flame Devil and lived as Mr. Kcalb stole his powers. Yet I've done more besides these deeds."

"J-just because you beat a weakened Devil and are the reincarnated descendant of a living legend doesn't mean you'll survive now!" Medouco tried again to make her stand down without a fight since she would've preferred for them to escape unharmed and let the guards or the Gentleman Devil handle this. "You may be her reincarnated descendant, though you're not her! You're Macarona, not Rigatona! If your ancestor was so powerful, you'd need years of great experience to reach the point she was at, the high levels of strength and power she managed to achieve via experience!"

Macarona sighed, not bothered by her friend doubting her. Rather it was the truth in her words, the statement demonstrating that she truly wasn't Rigatona. Medouco was right, she wasn't her ancestor. Up until this very moment Macarona had been getting by through her own merits and the strength of her friends when they were with her. When Ivlis invaded the Gray Garden, she hadn't found her courage until she saw one of his subordinates nearly slaughter one of her friends while another went to save her. When the Project Dynol Peiriant conspiracy occurred with those animatronics posing a real threat, she went up against them head on as a night guard to help uncover the conspiracy for what it was. Thinking of her ancestor now, Macarona knew Medouco had a point—her deeds up until now paled in comparison to what Rigatona could do; not in quality, but in quantity. Besides those two achievements and the book she wrote about the conspiracy, Macarona had done those other fun quests with Lil and she'd garnered favor from Queen GriRea. Those counted too, but this wasn't a quest; it was in fact very much like the two big achievements she secured. GriRea's favor was indeed an achievement like them, but all Macarona had done was make her laugh with a couple snippets from her book and that got her accepted. It wasn't like the kind of effort she had to put in when fighting Ivlis and stopping the conspiracy, but it was still nice to be recognized by somebody that powerful and regal. The feeling was the same for anybody who wasn't because it felt good to be helpful to others and make a difference that would've done good.

Rigatona had done good; Macarona had done good. Yet Macarona hadn't done enough to reach the height Rigatona had reached as far as the quantity of her accomplishments went. That was why she had to do more. Even if Macarona couldn't make it that far, at least she was still putting in the effort to try. That was what mattered: do or don't, and she was definitely going to choose the former which was why she was going to take on the Cherub angel now. "There's no telling what would happen if we flee with our tails tucked between our legs, Medouco—no, there is telling," she reasoned with the demonic maid. "She could probably attack other properties in this district and the town itself. She would have to deal with guards who'll come after her which can sour relations with the heaven she's from. That's if guards come, that is." Having shut her eyes while she was thinking and beginning to put forth her logic, the young angel reopened them in determination. "There is nobody else here but us who can try and stop her, Medouco. As a fighter, I could get close to her; as an angel, I could try to reason with her. She may not know I'm an angel and she might still try to attack me even if she does know—in case she'll consider me, an angel, to be a traitor of sorts against other angels. If I could just get close to her, there's a chance we can talk things over without having to fight any longer. We'll avoid this conflict; the two of us won't be under fire anymore, and she won't have to deal with the risks of causing more damage."

"B-but…" Medouco still attempted to dissuade her from going through with this cause of action.

"My mind's made up, Medouco," Macarona finished with a smile directed towards her. "I do have you."

The Gorgon blinked in surprise. "M-m-me…?" she murmured, confused as to what the angel meant by that while said angel nodded in response when Medouco realized what it was Macarona wanted. "You need my healing?"

"Indeed, it'll be invaluable. I shall charge straight for her while you apply healing spells to me. Though I am not wearing any armor, the lack of encumbrance will enable me to move faster so I can dodge her attacks much better than I would with light armor on." The young angel smiled, glad to have found a solution that would've not only kept the demonic maid safe, but also allowed her to close the gap between her and the other angel. "Just stay here for safety."

"B-but w-what if she attacks me?" the maid asked timidly. "M-my healing spells cover a wide range, b-but—"

"I can guarantee she won't," Macarona assured her. "It's two against one, Medouco—technically one on one since only I can fight her. Regardless, she'll have no choice but to focus all her attacks on me since I'll be charging her. She'll not be able to come after you if I'm her biggest concern, the larger threat against her. All we have to do is wait for her to turn her back and when she's not looking I'll break away from here and go right for her. She'll not know where you'll be, Medouco, thus ensuring you're protected. I'll take her on and you watch from here to determine when I'll require your healing spells; I'm afraid we cannot utilize signals at this point because she'll probably catch on to that."

"A-are you sure this'll work, Macarona?" Medouco inquired, still not convinced. "S-she could kill you!"

"Not if you're healing me constantly, for I'll be at full health after every attack she lands on me."

The Gorgon swallowed heavily and turned back to the trees and the foliage covering them. Peering through small gaps in the latter, she attempted to determine if the Cherub angel became suspicious of their presence yet. "I-I still don't know, Macarona. S-she's a Cherub angel." Again she was using that excuse to try and avoid conflict, but it wasn't working anymore just as it wasn't at the very beginning. Fear dominated her decision to flee, but bravery decided the young angel's course of action against their opponent. Medouco couldn't stop shivering, whimpering a bit because the plan was scary much like their predicament. If she hadn't been Macarona's personal warden, she wouldn't have been in this mess to begin with. However, she felt she couldn't abandon her both because of her job and her concern for the angelic girl as well. She'd been ordered to be the prisoner's personal warden as said prisoner requested only her and her alone; she'd been given the angel's trust as this angel placed both faith and her life in Medouco's hands. Throughout handling this responsibility, the poor Gorgon was constantly getting caught in situations that placed her between a rock and a hard place. This occasion was no different except for the fact she was probably going to die; so was Macarona for there was the same chance applied to her. Even so, the angel boldly confronted it whereas she, the Gorgon, cowered. Medouco felt as if she'd been useless to Macarona by trying to be useful to Satanick, but her angelic companion still maintained her faith in her nonetheless. The young angel might've been using her, except she was also considering her.

"Looks like we'll have to wait until her back is completely turned to us," Macarona said, ignoring the excuse.

"S-she's turning back to us…" Medouco whispered, the search in her mind for any memories of where she'd seen this particular Cherub angel before. There had to be something, a recollection of places, people, and things she'd witnessed in her life before encountering their opponent now. The demonic maid tried her hardest, searching deep within her mind for answers when her eyes suddenly widened. There was one memory of her with somebody else, someone Medouco knew from working under Satanick! "Macarona!" she exclaimed in a hushed voice. "I-I think I remember! I-I remember seeing her with somebody once!" She would've relayed this knowledge to her angelic companion, though right when she was about to, shards of ice pierced the trees in front of them. Horrified by the attack, Medouco nearly shrieked as she stumbled back away from them. Even as she tripped over her own feet and a few rocks around her feet, the Gorgon was silenced by Macarona when the angel caught her and quickly covered Medouco's mouth with a hand.

"You're over there, aren't you?!" the Cherub angel called out to them in anger, having discovered the spot she suspected her quarry to be hiding at. It had taken a few minutes of careful searching, analyzation of her surroundings to determine exactly where they were if they hadn't escaped yet. The trees covered by foliage seemed a good hiding spot as any other spots in this area, yet there were plenty like this one space. However, she'd seen movement there frequently within those few minutes. Although it could've been an animal or a monster, the Cherub angel figured she'd check it anyway with an attack that would've hopefully killed her target or made her talk if she hadn't died. The fact she was hiding made it clear to the Cherub angel's suspicions of her opponents being cowardly, thereby reinforcing her belief that the killer was indeed a craven cur. "Come out and fight me like the cold blooded murderer you are if you have even a shred of honor in your veins! You don't deserve to call yourself an angel if you can't fight me one on one as an equal!"

Her calling Macarona a murderer with cold blood suddenly brought forth the incident that got her whisked into this underworld in the first place. The young angel's eyes widened slightly as she now realized who her opponent was. Medouco didn't need to elaborate on the attacker's identity anymore, for now Macarona knew fully well who she was. Even if the Gorgon didn't know, the young angel certainly did and suspected the maid would've said she saw her with Daimonji. It was the angel known as Cosmea, the angel who loved Daimonji; and she was fighting against them now because she'd been led to believe he had been killed by her, Macarona. Obviously Satanick's plan for that succeeded. Turning to face Medouco and nodding, the young angel shut her eyes and helped the Gorgon steady herself. "Thank you, Medouco, though I now know who our assailant is. The plan will proceed anyway even now that she's found us."

"W-wait, you're going out there now instead of waiting?! S-she could forget we're here!" Medouco protested.

"She wants to fight honorably, so I'll request that she doesn't attack you. Unfortunately, it seems that you'll be unable to heal me under that condition because that would be considered dishonorable under these circumstances unless she's healing herself. I understand she might attack me right out of the gate, but I still have to do this with honor."

Medouco looked somberly disappointed, eyes full of fearful tears as she tipped her head down in shame. She had wanted to be useful, to do something that could've helped Macarona win this fight. While healing might've still been allowed, the fact it likely wouldn't only depressed Medouco because she wasn't required to be of aid. As a personal warden to Macarona, it was her duty to ensure she didn't oppose Satanick in any way; yet it was also her duty to help Macarona in that capacity because of that and the angel's trust in her. Feeling like she had failed to fulfill both of her obligations, Medouco turned to gaze upon their opponent once more to watch as she became useless once again. She failed to do something about Zlienderstrom's Thieves' Guild by informing the authorities and her superiors about it; she failed to come to a decision when given an offer by the Thieves' Guild; she failed to tell them about Macarona's course of action against the Gentleman Devil. Those major failures dealt significant dents to Medouco's self-esteem by showing how useless she was, and now yet another failure was being added to the list her conscience would use to plague her. "I-I s-see…" she murmured sadly, feeling as if she had no choice but to accept the fact she was quite useless. "I-I'm sorry…"

"You have nothing to apologize for, Medouco," Macarona smiled to reassure her. "I'm glad you'll be safe."

Medouco sniffed. "I-I…" She wanted to say it wasn't alright, that she had to apologize for being so useless that Macarona had to shoulder the burden of doing everything for her. Granted, Macarona might have technically been in charge because she was allowed to choose what she did while having the Gorgon guide her as a personal warden. It wasn't so bad from that angle when the angel wasn't doing anything to strike back at the Gentleman Devil in any way while helping the demonic maid. However, Medouco knew she had to be pulling her own weight which she was not doing at all whereas Macarona did everything. If she could've healed Macarona during the fight it could have been something at the very least even if it wasn't fully much of anything compared to what the young angel did. Yet she didn't appear to have that opportunity anymore. As she was in the midst of losing herself in the somber reverie, Medouco was jolted back to reality when she and Macarona heard what sounded like a vehicle revving up towards their position. The two girls hadn't expected the noise, not knowing what it was until they looked in the direction it came from: behind the angelic opponent they were going up against. "H-huh?" the maid asked in surprise and stepped back. "What's that?"

The noise attracted Cosmea's attention as well, for she whirled around to face the source too when a motorcycle suddenly shot out from the trees on a cliff above the lake just behind where Cosmea was standing. The Cherub angel's eyes widened in surprise as she stepped back and nearly slipped on the ice she used to freeze the water. "Dammit…" she swore under her breath and shot her arm out with the palm of her hand outstretched. "Another one of your tricks, you dishonorable killer!" she shouted in rage while using her wings to push off the ground and fly a couple feet off the ice. Thunder erupted from her palm once magical energy built up and constructed the necessary power to form the attack which shot straight towards the motorcycle and hit it head on to produce a large explosion. Pieces of the bike fell apart, landing on the ice and crashing through it to make holes in several spaces. Cracks formed under the ice as Cosmea used more magic to freeze the spots again by solidifying them so that the makeshift arena could be repaired. As she did so, however, a figure emerged from the smoke brought about by the motorbike's explosion to bring down a cane and a battleaxe upon Cosmea's head. She growled at the sight of a third opponent, but the other two knew who it was.

"Met?!" Macarona gasped as the Cherub angel quickly raised both arms to create a magical shield to protect herself from the ghost girl's deadly blow. Using the cane to smash the shield, Met propelled herself forward with it too much like a pole jumper vaulting over a pole. Whirling around to lash out with the battleaxe, she struck another shield Cosmea constructed and slid back on the ice as if she were actually ice skating. In fact, that was exactly how Met was maneuvering even without any ice skates on. The ghost girl laughed arrogantly, enraging Cosmea by taunting her.

"Wow, a Cherub angel!" Met teased, twirling the cane around like a baton and setting the head of her other weapon down on the ice to lean on it. "I wouldn't have expected to find such an exotic creature running amok on our property! A shame the others aren't here to partake in the hunt, but at least they'll appreciate your pelt as a rug while I'm hanging your head on a pike to adorn our fireplace. What do you think, eh? Don't mind going extinct for our wall?" Chuckling, Met couldn't help but grin viciously underneath her helmet as she kept teasing the Cherub angel. "I do not mind a little population control myself, and I hope you don't either for our sake. You Cherub angels may not exactly be quite an endangered species, but the moment I tranquilize you is the final breath of life you take to give me your life."

"Shut the hell up, demon!" Cosmea shouted in anger, shooting another thunderbolt followed by shards of ice which Met dodged merely by disappearing and reappearing elsewhere. "This isn't your fight; stay out of it or else!"

"Oh, but it is," the ghost girl—now wearing a hunter's cap—said mockingly. "I said this is our property, girl."

"A-ah…" Cosmea flinched at the ghost's reiteration of that. She had considered how furious the property owners of these forested acres would be if they discovered she was the culprit behind wrecking it. An angel destroying a demon's property—such a catastrophe would've led to legal ramifications against her for having damaged it. Besides it was the fact the property owners weren't involved in her dispute with the killer she sought. In other words, Cosmea's actions were criminal because not only had she acted on the basis of justice and revenge against the laws of her world, though also because she had no real permission from the authorities in her heaven to do so since they were supposed to handle it. Caught in a legal predicament she had caused, the Cherub angel knew her irresponsibility had caused this; although Satanick allowed her to act, she realized he was in no position to give her the authority to distribute justice and vengeance because he was the Gentleman Devil. She came from the Corporate Heaven, and as such was subject to the laws and regulations established by her heaven's government under Fumus. While Satanick might've helped her out by informing the Smoking God that he did indeed allow Cosmea to do this, the Cherub angel knew she'd still be in deep trouble. She might've been let off a little easy because of that and also due to how she felt about Daimonji's murder.

Met's smiled widened. "Struck a nerve, didn't I, girl?" she taunted again and vanished when Cosmea attacked.

"I shall not hear another word from you, demon! This may be your property, but you're not my opponent!"

"Oh, but I am!" the ghost bantered. "Word, word, word! There's more words, words, words, for you!"

Watching Met and Cosmea fight with the former closing in on the latter to deal more attacks the Cherub angel parried with her shields before firing thunderbolts and ice shards at the ghost, Macarona carefully approached the lake as the Gorgon kept close to the trees for cover. She didn't want to get involved just as the young angel didn't want to fight three on one as that was dishonorable. Nonetheless, Met clearly possessed a valid point that this was Kurotsuno's property and therefore could get involved. Why the other girls back at Moonshadow Manor weren't present was somewhat unclear, but perhaps they were contacting the authorities to deal with this whereas Met came along to regulate some authority personally. Even though Macarona wanted to fight with Cosmea as equals so that she could try reasoning with the Cherub angel, she was grateful for the ghost's aid all the same. "Medouco," she said to address the demonic maid behind her as she stepped towards the frozen lake, applying some somatomantic energy within her to the soles of her feet so she wouldn't slip—she'd still slide on purpose to avoid any attacks. "I'm going in. Heal us as necessary, but don't strain yourself. Heal Cosmea as well since I want to keep her alive. I must be sure to defeat her before Met does and kills her."

"U-um, o-okay," the Gorgon murmured nervously as Macarona shut her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again. Facing the Cherub angel and the ghost girl as they fought with determination, Macarona started sprinting across the ice towards the pair. She was siding with Met, but fighting to keep Cosmea alive and would stop the ghost from going too far with her attacks. Her footfalls on the ice formed some cracks as she intended for it to happen because she also thought about kicking up chunks of ice as shields and cover spray to hinder the Cherub angel's vision. Rushing forward, the noise of her sprinting increasing as she ran straight for the other angel, Macarona saw that Cosmea was paying attention to her after having deflected a strike from the cane to force Met back. Raising a hand up, Cosmea developed crystal shards of ice with her hand and fired them at the young angel to try and pierce her. Some missed whereas a couple merely scratched Macarona's face, though the magic Medouco wielded was enough to heal these scars. Even one brushed past the right sleeve of the angel's blazer and cut it, dealing another cut to her, yet this too was healed.

"So you finally show your face, murderer!" Cosmea shouted and cast a thunderbolt at her enemy.

"Tch!" Macarona scowled, purposely letting the energy in her feet decrease a bit so she could slide under the assault. Successfully dodging it, she pushed her hands down on the ice to perform a backflip once she was close to the other angel. Her plan was not to kick the Cherub angel in the chin, but try to push her off balance when Cosmea brought her shield up to defend herself. The idea worked well, exactly as she expected it would to drive her opponent back into Met so the ghost could make an attempt at attacking while the Cherub angel's guard was down. Pinned between two opponents at once, Cosmea knew she had to do something to get away as she possessed no experience in close quarters combat. Flapping her wings to get away, she ascended into the air with Macarona right on her tail after the other angel utilized Met's weapons as springboards to go after her. "I am not the murderer you believe me to be, Cosmea!" she shouted aloud, saying Cosmea's name to inform the Cherub angel she did indeed know who she was. "It wasn't me! I wasn't the one who cut down the man you loved in cold blood! That was Mr. Satanick! He pinned the blame on me!"

"Why should I believe you?!" Cosmea retorted, conjuring two Wind Golems out of air powered by frozen Atronachs and sending them after Macarona only for the angel to smash one while Met joined in to destroy the other. "You were the one who killed him! Satanick saw you do it! You killed him because Daimonji was only trying to save his wife from your world! You were a warden who helped keep his wife imprisoned, and now Daimonji's dead because of you, you lying murderer!" Seeing that her Golems and Atronachs were destroyed, the Cherub angel resorted to another approach by sending gusts of wind after the enemy combatants. "He told me all about it, how he watched you do it!"

Once again Macarona scowled, desperately avoiding the gales brought on when Cosmea vented her anger out on her. Met was an unwilling participant who had nothing to do with what happened, though she too dodged each attack when she could. A powerful lightning bolt mixed in with the thunder severed one of her arms and sent it flying into the forest, however, thus disarming her of the battleaxe. She still held onto the cane though, and could've dealt some damage with it once she managed to get close. Unfortunately, she was beginning to have trouble keeping up with Macarona. "You two know each other from somewhere, Macarona?" she called out to the angel from the Gray Garden, wondering what her connection to Cosmea was. "You both know that one guy well!" That was before a thunderbolt blew up her head to send Met hurtling towards the ground where she landed by Medouco. The maid screamed in fright, but Met simply got up and gave her two thumbs up before disappearing to reappear in the sky. Thankfully Medouco had not fainted then.

"There were three of us there, Cosmea:" Macarona elaborated on the details of that encounter with Daimonji and Satanick, "Mr. Daimonji, Mr. Satanick, and I! I fought with Mr. Daimonji, true, but it wasn't I who landed the finishing blow! Your lover had attacked me to keep Lil and I separated! He explained that to me once I defeated him, how he was ordered by the Gentleman Devil to do it when Mr. Satanick showed up to kill him so he could frame me for murdering him!" Avoiding more gusts of wind and thunderbolts, the young angel continued to ascend towards Cosmea. She'd not been struck once, but hoped the range of Medouco's healing spells would've reached the heights they were ascending. "The man you loved is dead, yes, and of us three, both Mr. Satanick and I can say anything we want to you! I'm not fabricating anything and can assure you of that, but he can say the same! You need to hear both sides of the story!"

"I've already heard both, and my judgment says you're lying!" Cosmea retorted to her explanation, forming another shield to defend herself from a blow Macarona attempted to deal. The attack was performed once Macarona ascended to just above her, a slamming punch that forced Cosmea down into receiving a painful blow from the cane wielded by Met. In pain, the Cherub angel gritted her teeth to withhold a painful cry since that blow sure hurt something fierce due to how hard the ghost struck her. Contradictory to that pain was a soothing sense of being healed that had initially confused her at first the moment she felt it, but Cosmea soon realized where it was coming from. Turning on her belly with her back to the sky, her eyes darted about for the healer since she had seen those prior cuts Macarona received getting healed before. Sure enough she found the source and rained down crystal shards of frigid ice on her, not caring about who's side the healer—that being Medouco—was on because she believed said healer was instructed by the angelic girl she was fighting to keep her alive. "Trying to convince me otherwise with your lies, murderer!" she shouted while the shards fell as she mixed thunderbolts in. Applying more magic to her attack, she created an explosion from afar underwater which erupted through the ice to produce a massive tidal wave in the lake that headed straight for Medouco.

Witnessing the mass of destructive elemental power heading right for her, the poor Gorgon's eyes widened in horrified fright as she screamed in terror. Stumbling backwards, she suddenly tripped over her own feet and a rock before falling backward on the ground. In the face of oncoming danger threatening to kill her, Medouco believed she was done for and squeezed her eyes shut tight, screaming even as a sudden force of shadows underneath immediately engulfed her to remove her from the path of destruction. "MEDOUCO!" Macarona screamed fearfully, worried the Gorgon was slain by an angel too focused on trying to achieve justice and vengeance for the man she loved that she would've done anything to ensure she acquired that much for Daimonji. The young angel had watched what had happened with her own eyes and it made Macarona halt her attacks for several moments as she began to feel the guilt of having involved Medouco in a fight up against an angel only Macarona was supposed to fight. This remorse weighed heavily on her mind, making Macarona tense up in anger towards Cosmea for having gone too far in her attacks. She wished the demonic maid was alright, though now realized that in order to try and reason with the Cherub angel, she had to toughen up her attacks against her. Growling in rage directed towards the Cherub angel for refusing to handle this rationally, Macarona applied more of her somatomantic energy to her fists than she probably should've used, but still had the mindset to limit how much she'd need. Her heart was aching from the supposed loss of Medouco, but she still had hope the demonic maid survived.

Henceforth she applied some somatomantic energy to her wings as well in order to speed up so she could reach Cosmea before the Cherub angel had another chance to attack. Macarona was still seething with anger, yet controlled it well because she wanted to avoid losing herself in it. If she did and went ahead with doing something unthinkable like murdering Cosmea for having attempted to murder Medouco when Cosmea was trying to avenge Daimonji's murder, Macarona knew she'd be in a dark place she'd never return from. The culpability of committing murder was something she would've had to deal with for the rest of her life, however long it was, and she knew it was an unhealthy obsession over having taken a life. Macarona had never done that before, and she certainly didn't want to now or ever. That was why she was tailoring her energy so she would have enough to subdue Cosmea by force without killing her. It was what she hoped would happen, so the young angel gambled everything on a blow that would accomplish the deed. She'd known Met might've attempted to murder the other angel, but a quick glance at the ghost behind her showed that Met wouldn't get involved due to cowering slightly at the sight of Macarona's apparent rage. Acknowledging this with a thumb up, the young angel continued descending faster towards the Cherub angel at a velocity that only intensified.

"There…" Cosmea murmured, also upset by the fact she had to eliminate an opponent. She breathed deeply, disliking her method and regretting it immediately. However, part of her conscience consoled her with the notion that she'd not be too bothered by it because she had taken out somebody opposing her drive for justice. That healer must've been the warden Satanick had been talking about, and by aiding Macarona she'd signed her own death warrant due to having become an accomplice. Cosmea wouldn't have wanted to kill her, but Satanick allowed her, plus that warden could've likely known about Macarona's murder of Daimonji. Therefore the killing was justified in her mind despite the fact she still felt some guilt over it because she was still that kind of individual who resented such severe actions in light of having performed them. "That should take care of the healer. One down, only two to go," Cosmea finished as she'd begun to turn around and resume the fight against the other angel. Yet when she'd done so, an expression of shock appeared on her face at the sight of Macarona's rapid descent towards her like a meteor hurtling towards a planet. It was such a horrific sight that it caught her off guard. "W-wha, how?!" the Cherub angel shrieked, baffled that her actions caused such a drastic turn of events. Unable to act immediately via retaliation, all she could do was form another shield.

Cosmea had hoped that would've been enough to defend her even if the oncoming attack sent her flying right into the lake below, though she was a good swimmer and could've swam away if she could recover there in time to escape. At this point she slowly started to realize the battle wasn't going in her favor anymore, a great shock to her, a Cherub angel whose power was symbolized in the number of wings she had. She had four and Macarona had two, yet Cosmea could sense a great amount of controlled energy building up in Macarona even as the opposing angel herself darted right down to deliver a crushing blow to the shield. Believing the shield would've just cracked, Cosmea tried to descend while keeping her eyes on the other angel. Unfortunately for her, Macarona quickly caught up and withdrew her arm to deal the deadly blow. With a loud cry of controlled rage, she punched the magical shield as hard as she could to decimate it. The force of her attack completely shattered it as her fist broke through it, though stopped just short of the finishing touch against her opponent. Even so, Cosmea felt the full brunt of the somatomantic energy within the punch smashing into her stomach like a heavy anvil landing directly on it for a critical impact in such a narrow, compact spot.

Pain erupted throughout her body as she was propelled further downward at a much faster decline, the harm done from that one blow exploding from the initial point of impact. She could feel it everywhere in her body, the jolting mass of force from the attack paralyzing her greatly during the fall and rendering her somewhat unconscious for a bit. Hitting the water and sinking slightly, Cosmea's eyes flitted open as she gradually recovered a bit of strength, just enough for a few strokes to the surface to recuperate if Macarona's rage was satisfied with the blow being dealt. Seconds later she broke through, coughing with her eyes shut as she floated, kicking her legs back and forth to ensure she stayed afloat. Suddenly hearing the sound of water breaking apart into three waves going in three different directions behind her, she whirled around and her eyes widened at the sight of Macarona zooming towards her by flying above the water's surface which caused those waves. Shrieking in shock at the sight of fast she was approaching and also at how close she was gaining on her, Cosmea attempted to escape the other angel's wrath. She was too late, however, for the young angel immediately threw an arm out to seize the Cherub angel by the collar of her dress and pull her out to drag Cosmea back onto dry land and shove her up against a tree. Her eyes shut due to being pinned up, though she opened them momentarily to see an angry, yet collected Macarona standing before her. "W-who, w-what are you?!" Cosmea cried, not sure how she, a Cherub angel who had more wings than this girl, lost the fight and cowered before the other standing before her.

"I am Macarona of the Gray Garden," Macarona responded in a reserved, yet angry tone of voice directed at Cosmea. "I have spoken my piece just as Mr. Satanick spoke his, yet you refused to listen to both sides of the story." Though this introduction between the two angels was a first, it was a rather poor impression due to their fight. However, Macarona didn't care about introductions and impressions at this point. She wanted to clear her name to Cosmea and demand the Cherub angel apologize and pay for having murdered Medouco if the Gorgon had died. "I had hoped we could discuss this rationally so I could give you my side of the story, yet you refused to listen. You are responsible for: starting this fight, Cosmea; for not listening to reason; for allowing yourself to be consumed by vengeance. Because of that, you attacked an innocent maid who could've very well died because of you." Catching sight of Met landing in her peripheral vision while much of her attention was still on Cosmea, she gave the ghost an instruction. "Met, please go search the area where Medouco last was. If she is okay or not, come let me know at once so I can manage my anger." Met's lack of a head didn't bother her, however, even as disturbing as it was. All it did was make Macarona wince a bit because of how gory the sight was. Still, the young angel knew Met was a ghost and could take such abuse and would live. That didn't surprise her, but what did was when the ghost pointed behind the young angel which confused her. "Huh?" Hopeful her wish for Medouco's survival to be confirmed as Met seemed to be alluding to, Macarona did as she was instructed by whirling around in surprise. She blinked, releasing Cosmea from her grip to let the Cherub angel fall to the ground. Shuddering slightly because she couldn't believe her eyes, Macarona kept blinking to clear her vision of tears that were slowly beginning to form in her eyes. She even rubbed them too to see better as she approached the pair of girls standing in front of her now that she turned around to face them. "Medouco…you're alive…I thought you died…"

Of the two, the witch in black just smirked and chuckled, pointing a thumb at the demonic maid. "Looking for someone?" she asked rhetorically while Medouco dusted herself off now that she realized she was alive thanks to her.

"M-Miss C-Chlomaki!" the shy Gorgon uttered in disbelief, but thankful the Witch of Shadows arrived just in time to offer them her aid. "I-I didn't expect to find you here of all places," she added when she was suddenly hugged by Macarona. Feeling the angelic girl heave a heavy sigh of relief, tears welled up in her eyes too as she returned the hug.

"I was so worried about you, Medouco…" Macarona said. "I thought you died, but I'm glad you're okay."

"Me too…" the poor maid whimpered, glad to be alive. "I-I was just s-so s-scared, Macarona…"

Watching the pair reunite now that the fight was over with her as the loser, Cosmea tipped her head down in shame. She had failed to avenge Daimonji by distributing justice on his behalf, and she caused a lot of trouble over it. "Daimonji…" she murmured, wishing he was still alive so that he could clear up all this confusion and doubt she felt when the sight of a broomstick being shoved in her face startled her slightly. It didn't hit her, but stopped short in front of her face as she saw Chlomaki towering over her with something of an amused smile on her face as the witch spoke.

"Lover boy's not here to bail you out from this. You've caused quite a stir in this fancy district, little missy."

…

 **This has to be the longest chapter of** _An Otherworldly Marital Dispute_ **, but it was also fun to write it despite the fact it took a long time. Part of the reason was because it was so long and due to stuff in real life being important. However, I was also doing something else which I shall announce now. For a short while during the production of this chapter, I was developing non-canon RPG elements for the Mogeko universe. As this good universe is something of an RPG, I thought it'd be fun to imagine what roleplaying elements could be fashioned for it and decided to come up with some. I've finished a lot of this work already and looked to other RPG series for inspiration such as Elder Scrolls, Dungeons and Dragons, Fallout, Etrian Odyssey, Fire Emblem, FromSoft's games—Demons' Souls, Bloodborne, and their Dark Souls trilogy—and Diablo to name some examples I know. Some elements are the same as in these series, but have been tinkered with to fit the Mogeko universe. Although much has been completed, I've still got some work left to do before it's fully complete so that it'll be ready for the forums. Look forward to it if you're curious about which RPG elements would help shape this fun universe.**


	24. Chapter Twenty-Four: Persuasion

All this sitting around was boring to her, the waiting killing her with its tense anticipation. Everybody else felt likewise, the same effects of bated breath setting everyone on edge due to the war. The War of the Sly Night they've begun to call it as an allusion to Satanick and his unknown intentions as represented by the night sky. She thought it a fitting moniker because the night, while known, was still unknown because nobody knew what was hidden within the darkness. Day represented light, what was known; night stood for darkness, the hidden. A rather apt comparison of a description she believed accurately portrayed her husband. He was known to be a corrupt Devil, a crook who enjoyed bringing others down for his own agendas which were kept secret from many except for henchmen closest to him. It wasn't unlike him for that was indeed his nature as she knew it from being his wife. Lil knew all sorts of things about Satanick, fully aware of everything he was involved in—how he governed the Devil's Kingdom and worked with Warwick. She'd grown up in that society, the poor conditions of it prior to her immediate ascension to aristocracy.

And yet somehow, now that her best angelic friend was whisked away to the Devil's Kingdom where men ruled with iron fists of corruption, the demonic lady somehow felt as if she hadn't known her civilization all that well. She grew up in in, but didn't know it because she'd only been fighting for her survival. In a place like the Devil's Kingdom, survival only came naturally as an instinct demanding that demons there should've only lived for themselves. Lil was perfectly aware of that issue, how it governed people by forcing them to care about nobody else but themselves. The demonic lady herself had once been an example of that lifestyle, and once she noticed what was happening, she knew reforming her underworld could've saved it. Her first step had been attempting to break out of that mold which she successfully accomplished. Next came the understanding of her hell which she also comprehended to some degree as evidenced by what she experienced as Satanick's wife. Though traversing into settled areas such as the castle town of Zlienderstrom for instance was difficult to achieve because Satanick kept her cooped up and under wraps. Thus being prevented from meeting the people there and understanding them and their problems kept Lil from knowing them.

However, she believed Macarona would have prevailed where she was unable to go by doing just what the demonic lady herself couldn't. Perhaps it was just the thought that crept into her mind that Macarona was capable of doing something to ensure she wasn't treated like all prisoners of war. Or maybe it was because Reficul's son passed through en route to the Shadowed Sanctuary, taking a detour to confirm the suspicions he said she relayed to him herself with Glasses and Kiku present to know of what transpired as well. Watching the storm from outside the living room window, seated on a couch in the young angel's house, Lil took a sip of her tea and smirked mischievous at the thought of Macarona slowly picking apart her husband's plans right out from under his own nose. "Macarona, you sly dove, you…" she murmured quietly and continued to drink her tea, shutting her eyes to think and listen to the storm overhead. "You're an angel…"

Lil knew of what Macarona was doing and so did Etihw and Kcalb. Mors had informed them he had indeed met with her on his last day in the Devil's Kingdom doing business negotiations with Glasses. He said her son listened intently and offered to help negotiate with his father on her behalf, garnering three privileges for her which all amounted to: an apartment in the castle, a personal warden handpicked by Macarona herself, and the freedom to visit Zlienderstrom so she could see the castle town for herself. The young angel was doing what Lil hadn't been able to accomplish herself during her own occupancy in the underworld she called home. Although the demonic lady would have liked to, going about her business after sneaking out of Nightrise Castle to hit the town would've got her caught much quicker than a trip to another world would've. That was why she timed her escapes to coincide with events that enabled her to visit other underworlds instead and to build up contacts who could've supported her in improving the Devil's Kingdom. Her original reason of coming to the Gray Garden in search of Macarona was solely to find a place to stay until her husband gave in to her request for more power, but now the tide was turning and her plan had changed. Now she could hopefully push forward with her ideals for reforming the Devil's Kingdom. While she might've been cut off from calling her other friends in the Network of Peers, Lil could count on Macarona to find a solution to end this war and save her underworld.

While Kcalb and Etihw were thankful Macarona was still alive when Mors last saw her, they still knew it was possible for something to happen to her. Lil acknowledged that too, but she knew Macarona; she knew the young angel was only just getting started and would've survived to keep dogging Satanick every step of the way, no matter what he tried to pull against her. It was a feeling in her bones, and it felt good knowing there was somebody she knew, a close friend of hers, who'd persistently strive to do anything possible to stop something wrong from happening. Macarona was their only hope; she was the only hope of Lil's ideals of reforming the Devil's Kingdom coming true, and she was the only hope of saving the Gray Garden from the Gentleman Devil before he corrupted it too. Lil had done much here as well, constructing clones of herself with bats to drive off demonic raiding parties from the legions stationed in between other allies of the Gray Garden and itself. Her powers were greater than theirs, and they all eventually gave up since they've realized their numbers were dwindling whereas she singlehandedly protected this world from them without accruing any casualties on the Gray Garden's side. It was only fair for her to assist and defend it in return for being welcomed and allowed into this world in spite of the initial suspicions towards her which soon diminished in time.

Even so, time wasn't exactly on their side since the rest of Satanick's entire military was on its way. Still, they needed to fight him off for now as best they could to give Macarona more time to dismantle his plans from within the Devil's Kingdom. So long as her husband was focused on declaring war against this world and working to fulfill it, Satanick wouldn't be too concerned with a young angelic girl like her—who just so happened to be the reincarnated descendant of Rigatona—to pay any attention to what she was doing. Even if he was, he still wouldn't succeed since she was Rigatona's reincarnated descendant. That was reason enough for Lil to not worry too much even as others did.

It had only been several days since Macarona was abducted when she was framed, but soon…very soon the hopes and dreams of a reformed Devil's Kingdom would've come true. Especially if she had become its new Devil, an idea she had to thank Macarona for as she remembered their conversation right after the fight against Anten. Lil was grateful for having such an angelic friend like Macarona, and she knew Macarona would have all sorts of stories to tell about life and society in the Devil's Kingdom, specifically the facets Lil herself did not know due to being cooped up inside a castle for much of her life following the period when she'd been a poor peasant. How the times have changed.

…

"So, allow me to get this straight: you cannot allow me to pass into the Shadowed Sanctuary due to a war?"

"That would be correct, sir."

"Under whose authority has this command been passed down? Why has commercial trade shut down?"

Lieutenant Ken sighed, furrowing his brow and rubbing his temple while the lights inside the tent shone brightly against the medals on his military uniform. Dealing with this particular guy, another demonic young man who strutted right into the camp established in the realm of In Between, the place where portals to each of the worlds went. This very path was between the Shadowed Sanctuary and the Gray Garden, a path he'd been ordered to lead a couple legions to so the Gentleman Devil could cut off access to the former from the latter. "Again, sir, it is due to the war. Our orders have been to cut off all access from other worlds to the Gray Garden. Why, to answer your next question of why that is, it is because of the war. Details are classified stuff, sir, privileged information, understand?" he demanded rhetorically.

"And as the son of the Stoic Devil, am I not allowed the right to know that knowledge or return home from my business trip to my home underworld?" Mors inquired, his eyes boring into the lieutenant's figure with an impatient gaze.

"Absolutely not, sir, you're the son of another Devil! You are not a member of the Devil's Kingdom's army!"

"Absolutely not to what: the details, my return home, or both?" the other individual stated and leaned forward. He was losing his patience with this lieutenant whose responses were only garnering further suspicion towards what Satanick was up to. "Need I remind you that I've specifically said I was to return to my underworld by a certain time on a certain day. The Stoic Devil herself has stated she'd personally demand why I, her son, hasn't returned home from a business trip to your underworld if I am not home in time. If I were to not make it and if something were to happen to me, there'd be more than hell to pay. She can sense my presence here when she's near, and can move in at once. Though an entire mobilized action on the part of our military may not happen right away, she is a Devil and you are not. How does that sound for not being an ally of our underworld, Lieutenant Ken? Do you want your forces to be slaughtered by her before having to be wiped up by our military? Think about the consequences of your actions and your Devil's actions."

"Is that a threat?" the lieutenant growled angrily, not liking where the discussion was going.

"And a promise," Mors clarified. "Mark my words, Lieutenant, it'll happen. We shall be submitting our report regarding this to Her Majesty, and action shall be taken against you all for inciting a war without legal authorization." Leaning back in the chair offered to him by the lieutenant, he folded his hands together. "And before you say you'd consider doing anything to ensure that does not happen, allow me to reiterate: the Stoic Devil demanded I return by a specific time—which I shall now add is approaching very, very soon—and if I were deterred from returning by any means necessary should you do anything to impede my progress, the Devil's Kingdom would be held accountable. By refusing to grant me passage—and if you were to harm or kill me—you are causing the risk of intervention sooner than later happening earlier than you might've expected or even considered for that matter. Dare I remind you again that it won't be beneficial to your cause by decreasing the amount of time it takes to foil whatever plans you might have. A reality your superiors won't be too happy with, Lieutenant, for if their plans went up in smoke too soon due to your negligence in granting me passage at this instance, you'll be at their mercy once they demand you be brought forward."

"You believe this intervention will occur sooner than later if I refuse to let you pass?"

"Believe isn't the word; I know it shall occur sooner than later. All you need to do is give me passage and you'll have more time on your hands to go about your business. However, your refusal, while being an order you follow, isn't going to give you that time. Allow me to explain: by following orders, you're jeopardizing the war effort on your part."

"And refusing to follow orders is going to cost me," Lieutenant Ken finished what he thought was the next part.

"But which would cost you more: following orders or refusing to follow orders?" Mors demanded. "Bear in mind you're in no position that'll benefit you either way regardless of which option you choose. Sooner or later—that's your decision to make, and I suggest you do consider it carefully at once, Lieutenant. I've seen the state of your legions situated along this path, so I know they're in a sorry mess due to a certain demonic lady I kept overhearing them talk about—a certain demonic lady whom I myself met recently and spoke with concerning the current state of affairs." Leaning forward again, he glared at the lieutenant through cold eyes demanding an answer. "Well, what's your decision, Lieutenant Ken? Do you wish to throw away everything at once, or struggle to hold on before losing everything?"

Sitting back in his own chair inside the tent set up for planning militant operations, the demonic lieutenant was slowly beginning to realize this was a lose-lose scenario for him and the rest of the Devil's Kingdom in fact. He hadn't known this would've happened, that the Stoic Devil's son would've been heading home to the Shadowed Sanctuary including the fact Mors was taking this very route on his return trip. Considering the timing of when Mors had to arrive, the lieutenant expected the young man would've taken an alternative route through another underworld. What he didn't know was that this particular route would've taken about the same time as similar alternatives that were also close to home, meaning it could've taken more or less time to return. Henceforth it was possible Mors told the truth or was bluffing. Either way, he couldn't be sure for the young man knew more than he was supposed to know; thereby this placed Mors in a position to make demands and threats without consequence to him. Sighing in frustrated defeat, the lieutenant supposed it probably wouldn't be that big of a deal to let him go as Mors had no concrete evidence at all.

"Time is running out, Lieutenant Ken," Mors reminded him as the lieutenant sighed once again in defeat.

"Fine, fine, just go so we can back to preparing for when the war is really going to gain traction for us," he said, waving the young man off and watching as Mors got out of his seat to leave, but not before he gave another warning.

"And do remember this does concern my hell due to the lack of trade between it and the Gray Garden."

"Yes, yes, just get the hell out of our camp before I change my mind."

"I'll take that as a threat I'll also be reporting to the Stoic Devil," Mors added as he was stepping out.

"Are you certain that's the right choice, sir? What if what he said was true?" a defender outside the tent came in after overhearing the conversation between the other two demons. "Is it wise to let him depart like that without—"

"Just give me your report on what's going on and get back to your duties, soldier," Lieutenant Ken said tiredly, slumping back in his chair because he didn't like where this was going despite hoping investigations wouldn't bear fruit.

…

They were seated in Maekami's bar listening to a town crier outside listing the latest news updates for the inhabitants to listen to. Currently nothing special was being mentioned aside from references to the war every now and then. Though the window was shut, the group could still hear it and were alone in the bar without anyone else around. Patrons who frequented this establishment had already finished their meals and were gone for the day, heading back to work wherever their jobs took them. The waiters and waitresses who usually served these customers were still present within the joint if not on this floor; rather they had gone down into the basement to a large office space designed so Maekami and his employees would discuss ideas for special events and what to put on the menu while associating with members of companies inside and outside of the Devil's Kingdom for catering meals. In addition to it was a kitchen which was similar to the one up on this floor just behind the counter—for the days when the bar was really crowded.

At one point the town crier got to the part pertaining to the latest events of today and included an assault on Kurotsuno's property. Moonshadow Manor was still quite fine, but some acres took some damage. According to the town crier it was due to an assault from the Gray Garden which sent out secret agents to cause trouble while framing inhabitants of Zlienderstrom for the brazen assault. The young angel seated by the Gorgon scowled at the mention of her world being responsible when it wasn't; she was there and was the unfortunate victim of the attack, not Kurotsuno. Even so, she'd have given herself and Cosmea away by going out there to tell the truth—the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Macarona understood the disadvantage in that clearly just as she comprehended the fact nobody would've believed her. They'd probably have thought she was trying to pin the blame on this underworld or the Corporate Heaven for starting things that got heated to a point where conflict on the issue would've been inevitable. Satanick likely wanted that.

No, the real reason behind the attack was in fact because of him since the Gentleman Devil did indeed let the Cherub angel know about her. Macarona knew he had to have informed her by falsifying what happened to Daimonji. That was what set Cosmea off and drove her against the younger angel, believing she was responsible for killing him when it was really Satanick's fault since he was the one who killed his own subordinate. This was in fact the real truth, and because of Cosmea, attention was now being paid to the Magnus District. Guards were heading over demanding any answers they could receive from Kurotsuno and the other girls. Only Met might've known something and could have informed them of what happened and who the perpetrator was—unless the others were aware of those details too. Macarona had told them about why she was in the Devil's Kingdom to begin with and trusted them, though figured at least one if not all of them would spill the beans. Still, nothing was being done against her yet which meant the guards hadn't been given the truth or that they just hadn't gotten to it yet. With the attack having drawn attention, there was also speculation on what took place from those who were so confident in their hell's safety that they believed different ideas would've been applicable to the situation. To them it could've been an attack from another aristocrat who ordered the assault for whatever reason against Kurotsuno, and it was indeed plausible because other property owners in the Magnus District were probably making moves on her property. They could've offered aid in exchange for something or outright attempted to procure some of those acres for themselves by any means necessary to them. Such was the state of affairs within the Devil's Kingdom where alliances and other ties among the aristocracy could be made and broken for profit.

It upset Macarona to know that other demons were trying to take advantage of a situation that affected one of their own. Then again, she supposed it didn't matter too much in this underworld because that was what it was like. However, what worried her more was the fact Sibuna and Sullivan were there and could've been discovered by the authorities in their search for what really happened. Not that they would've let the public know if they wanted to keep everything a secret from the public view by not letting them have any sort of access to the crime scene. Nonetheless, Macarona hoped they'd have been able to get away from the property to clear out without drawing any attention to themselves. They knew what she told them and they could've been interrogated by authorities under Satanick's orders.

Yet the authorities weren't the only ones who'd have been paying attention to the current affairs pertaining to that. Macarona suspected Zlienderstrom's Thieves' Guild would've taken the opportunity to move in as well while everybody was occupied with it. Yarg Xof and his colleagues would've relished the chance to steal back what was rightfully the people's and execute any aristocrats who committed horrendous crimes against people of lower classes. They were a sensible lot distributing justice from the shadows, any they were well-experienced in handling such matters from the angle they took. Although Macarona herself did not agree with their methods, at least they were honorable because they cared about their fellow inhabitants of this underworld; albeit with chaotic methods they had to adopt.

"Worried you'll get nabbed, angel?" the Witch of Shadows sitting across from her next to the Cherub angel inquired with a cocky smirk on her face. Chlomaki had been the very reason why they'd been able to escape in the first place by using the same spell she used on Medouco to transport them through the shadows to Maekami's bar. After their arrival to find the demonic man already waiting for them with some drinks prepared, the witch stated they'd be alone during the duration of their conversation. Apparently Chlomaki had been curious about Macarona and wanted to get to know her better for the sake of attempting to make the young angel a familiar—a replacement for another of hers who wasn't residing in the Devil's Kingdom anymore. Of course, Macarona politely turned down the offer in spite of the reasoning the Witch of Shadows used. Two guards were watching the fight between Cosmea and Macarona before; Chlomaki slew them both easily and continued to observe the fight herself before intervening after deciding to end it because she'd been suitably impressed by the angel from the Gray Garden. An odd reason for wanting a familiar, sure, though her killing the guards suggested something else entirely which the witch said she'd reveal while they talked.

Turning from the window to make eye contact with the Witch of Shadows, Macarona shut her eyes as she nodded. "Yes, in spite of my hopes, I am. There are factors against me that'll hinder what I'm trying to do in this hell."

"Yeah, yeah, no need to go into details on what's bugging you. I've already got the whole story," Chlomaki stated and took a sip of her wine. "You've been on everyone's mind lately, Macarona. Our Devil's Spymaster's been trying his best to keep tabs on you under his orders and you've managed to elude them at every turn. Now, I know an illusion when I see it and can confirm you've definitely got guardian angels of a sort watching over you." That must've been a reference to the Thieves' Guild, particularly its members who knew how to cast such effective illusions. Whether Chlomaki knew of them was a mystery, but one that could've been pursued another time if it wasn't important now and also if she wasn't updating the Gentleman Devil on its existence. "Storm's not having any luck even if he believes he's been succeeding, but Satanick's been looking to dispose of you anyway regardless of whether or not he was supposed to keep you alive. So far he's failed too and it's not looking too good for him even if he does not suspect at all it yet."

"I imagine it doesn't," the young angel replied, aware the Gentleman Devil was capable of doing something against a potential threat like her to him and the underworld. "What of the other council members he sees, Chlomaki? What are their thoughts about me? Do they all see me as the same kind of threat, or has the war effort occupied them?"

"Oh, Murdock could care less, really; he just cares about his own coin purse and the profit it can hold than some angel who means nothing to him. He's still figuring out what the war will net us. Ludwig's basically preparing magical apparatuses for the army to use as weapons; some were completed and shipped off already, but more's to come. Yagi's also overseeing the war too; he is the Chancellor and Marshal, after all, so naturally he'll be too busy with it to give any shits about threats at home when those we're threatening are posing a smaller problem. He and Ludwig are still suspicious of you, really, but cannot really do much as the war preoccupies their time," Chlomaki explained. "Why, even Storm's busy trying to get intel on your world's allies to see what their moves would be. Even the Queen herself and the Smoking God aren't exempt from his watchful eyes—that is to say if he even has eyes." She laughed at the joke she made about the Spymaster, thinking it was funny when nobody else did because they didn't get the joke. "Yep, times are rough nowadays for the Gray Garden since our Devil's caused a shit storm of bad weather conditions—not anything too serious, I imagine, what with your Goddess and Devil preventing it if they can. Still, it'll hinder setting up preparations for any defense."

She had a point, for bad weather was indeed a problem that inhibited preparations by slowing them down.

"But do you have any word on the status of Mr. Satanick's army?" Macarona asked to check if it had not fully mobilized yet. If the Gentleman Devil's army was capable of fighting in bad weather conditions, her world might not have fared too well against it. That said, even if the weather was nice, a slowdown of preparations would've negatively impacted the Gray Garden as well due to not having enough time to have fulfilled everything because of bad weather.

"Not much has graced my ears, no, unfortunately," came the witch's answer. "I've just overheard a few of Ludwig's murmurings earlier about the Devil receiving reports that Lil was still causing them trouble in your world by giving the legions blocking access to the Gray Garden's allies shit and being too tough for all of them to overcome."

"I see," Macarona smiled, "that's at least good to hear." Thankfully her world was still standing strong all thanks to Lil. Without the demonic lady there to assist with her abilities, the Gray Garden might not have fared too well at all.

"It should be," Maekami commented as he was walking over with a platter of refills. "From my perspective as someone who once worked for the monarchial government under Mr. Satanick, these surreptitious assaults are poorly constructed. If he had even a shred of respect for the legions stationed to cut off access to your allies, he'd acknowledge risks of offending the Devils who do not agree with this war for the sake of trade. They'd smash his forces entirely as they'd mobilize the whole of their military forces because the Gray Garden is at the center of all this to meet with his."

"Then what would you have done if you were at the helm, Mr. Maekami?" Medouco inquired innocently.

"Simple, I would've instructed the legions to cut off access, but still maintain passage for visitors and merchant caravans until a proper time," the demonic man explained. "They would've remained in hiding until the proper time instead of smugly sitting on their asses, confident other parties would try not to do anything to stop them from acting as blockades. It's really a poor tactic if you think about it, Miss Medouco, for being seen before striking is unfavorable."

"Words of a wise assassin right here," Chlomaki grinned and chuckled, toasting his statement.

As the Witch of Shadows was downing another cup of wine while Maekami continued to serve them, the young angel turned her gaze to Cosmea sitting beside Chlomaki. The Cherub angel was decked in towels to dry her soaking wet figure after having been drenched in the lake. Her head was tipped down in shame, full of regret as she was ashamed of having failed to accomplish her deed of acquiring justice and revenge. Cosmea would have spoken up, though hadn't because she felt so miserable. The poor girl hadn't even touched her drink which had gotten cold while her seat became damp from being wet. She shivered from the cold dampness, her hair dripping wet as droplets of water dripped onto the seat and the towels engulfing her. Thankfully they covered her wings so nobody would know she was a Cherub angel unlike Macarona whom they would've known was an angel as her wings were out in the open to see. Cosmea was supposed to be Macarona's enemy for attacking her as others would've thought, though the young angel herself believed otherwise for she understood how the Cherub angel felt. Losing somebody close was hard to accept; failing to achieve justice for them on their behalf was even harder to accept. "Are you okay, Cosmea?" she inquired to check on the other angel to see if she was alright. "You're not too hurt from our fight before, are you? Medouco did heal you before Chlomaki brought us here, but I just want to know if you're feeling alright. Can we talk about it now?"

"What's there to talk about?" the Cherub angel asked, not looking up. "Daimonji's dead…He'll not return…" She might not have picked her head up, but her eyes moved to glare at Macarona. "There's nothing to talk about…"

"Oh, there's plenty to talk about, really," Chlomaki remarked perhaps in an effort to make her speak or to mock Cosmea. It was uncertain what her motivation was, really. "Why not start with lover boy's murder if that'll make you speak. How about you becoming a political tool to be disposed of? Why not outright hear you've pursued a mere lie?"

"I haven't gone after a lie!" Cosmea retorted to make her shut up. "All I wanted was for Daimonji's killer to be brought to justice and now I've failed to accomplish that. Unless you're going to poison her," she pointed at Macarona, "because you feel sorry for me, I've utterly failed. Daimonji's dead and his murderer is walking free and sitting across from me with her damned coconspirator as I speak. They're being allowed to get away with it and the authorities can't do anything about it because of this damned war!" She threw a cold look at Macarona and Medouco while the latter shivered nervously because she was afraid of the Cherub angel's anger being directed at them both. "Why should I trust you, huh? Why should I believe a word you say over Mr. Satanick? I know he's conniving and all, but he would not fabricate anything just to make me do something he can't accomplish on his own when he knows I love Daimonji very much."

"You are correct, Cosmea, you've not pursued a lie," Macarona agreed with her. "You've just been led astray."

"By whom?" the other angel demanded. "You or the Gentleman Devil? You yourself did acknowledge you can say things to try and win me over, to convince me to believe your word over his." She was right, Macarona indeed stated that very condition when they fought. "By that logic either one of you could be lying to me; it must be you."

"What makes you think that?" the younger angel asked. "What did he say? What was his story to you?"

"That your world kidnapped his wife, that you yourself were a warden who kept her prisoner and murdered Daimonji when he tried to save her," Cosmea simplified the account she heard from Satanick. "I know international regulations pertaining to prisoners of war. He cannot do anything to you, but feels he must circumvent that legislation because he told me you wouldn't be punished for what you did in your world. They'd have given you a slap on the wrist and any rewards you would've taken if you were turned over to them. That's why he feels it necessary to punish you himself by going against regulations. Your world is the cause of this war, and you are the one who killed Daimonji!"

"Then let me ask you this question, angel girl," the Witch of Shadows spoke up with a question. "Why would the Gentleman Devil involve you of all people besides the fact you were lover boy's girlfriend? If you know international regulations as you claim, surely you'd be aware of the fact a party not party to an incident between two civilizations wouldn't be helping the society said party comes from. You get what I'm saying, how you're a political tool and all?"

"Because the international regulations are what's keeping Mr. Satanick from distributing justice!" Cosmea said. "He'd be condemned for going against protocol in such a situation were he to act without the authority or justification!"

"But then who gave you authority and justification in the first place, Cosmea?" Macarona inquired while she followed Chlomaki's line of reasoning, understanding it better than the Cherub angel herself might have understood it.

Said Cherub angel threw a harsh glance at her. "Mr. Satanick because Daimonji's dead!"

"Still clinging to lover boy's death as the only card in your hand against her?" Chlomaki teased her. "Riddle me this: why would he, the Devil of an underworld, give an angel from a heaven authority and justification? What would be his goal in assisting an angel from a heaven other than to help her get justice and vengeance? Same world both hell and heaven inhabit? I think not, for there is definitely more to his plan than you might think, my dear Cherub angel girl. You're only accounting for one thing: lover boy's death. That's what blinding you to the truth," she stated to anger Cosmea.

Macarona shut her eyes and put a bent finger to her chin. "Sounds fishy to me. He wouldn't have any of the authority to deputize her for this duty because he's not in charge of heavenly affairs and thus cannot make decisions to enforce actions through angels. Now, unofficially, however, he could choose to not act by letting you handle this."

"That's the point! It's unofficial!" Cosmea attempted to grasp the straws of her argument. "I'm not blind!"

"And if the Corporate Heaven were to find out, then what?" Chlomaki smirked mischievously as if victorious over the Cherub angel's argument—she was, actually, for the argument was already falling apart. Macarona wondered if Cosmea was able to handle the truth, worrying that it might've made her withdraw further into a shell to avoid listening because there was no way of this situation for her. The man she loved had died by Satanick's hands and he planted a seed of doubt in her mind to make her believe Macarona was the killer and that any means necessary to take vengeance and justice for Daimonji could be accomplished unofficially. That seed had to be uprooted so Cosmea could understand the truth and try to accept it as best she could. However, that required time; what Chlomaki was doing was basically shock therapy to drive the truth into her skull. "Would the authorities up there take kindly to your actions? Would they look at your actions and let you off the hook for getting them involved in a war they have no part in aside from considering commercial trade? Do you believe for even a split second they'll not charge you for becoming an active participant?"

"B-but Mr. Satanick wouldn't sell me out to them out of respect for Daimonji!" the Cherub angel protested, believing that alone would've allowed her to avoid getting involved in a war that didn't even involve her heaven.

"Sure he would, it's clearly what the conniving asshole would do," Chlomaki commented rather nonchalantly without a care in the world for how she phrased it. "And even if he or his subordinates don't, what's not to say fellow angels of yours up there find out or not? What would stop them from trying to alleviate their own suspicions by looking into your behavior as of late, little missy? Do you really believe they would support you even if they understood you?"

"T-they…I-I…" the poor Cherub angel murmured nervously, worried that Chlomaki was correct. Cosmea acknowledged the reality of her situation, fully aware the Witch of Shadows was speaking truthfully with her logic. However, that didn't make it easy to accept and she was scared to follow along lest she discover something unpleasant. What she feared wasn't the repercussions of her actions that would be levied against her as charges, but rather the clear indication that by trying to seek vengeance and justice she had indeed gotten her heaven involved in a war it was not involved in even if the commercial trade was valued. Even so, all the guilt of being responsible coupled with alleged abandonment by her heaven even if there were some who might've aided her weighed heavily on Cosmea's mind as it was her fault for going along with it—for allowing herself to follow vengeance when in need of justice for closure. Averting her attention from the witch to look down at the floor again in shame, the poor girl sniffed sadly as tears had begun forming in her eyes. "All I wanted was to get justice for Daimonji…I did what I had to…is that so wrong?"

"No, nobody is blaming you for that, Cosmea," Macarona spoke up to try and soothe the other angel's nerves before Chlomaki said something blunt—but true—again. She had wanted the witch to be a little gentler in her conduct with Cosmea, how it would've been of more help to be tender with her due to how fragile the matter of Daimonji's murder was to her. Nonetheless, Chlomaki's technique, though blunt, did manage to get through to the Cherub angel. "I said already you've been led astray and these words hold true. I know of you because of Daimonji and Mr. Satanick, actually. When he died, your name was the last thing Daimonji uttered with his dying breath before Mr. Satanick had clarified who you were. I witnessed the murder myself, it happened before my own eyes after I fought with Daimonji when he came after me to keep me away from Lil. He explained that to me before he was killed by his own superior."

Her explanation brought Cosmea back into the folds of conversation as she looked up to direct a somber glare directly at the younger angel. "And why should I believe you? What evidence do you have to prove your account?"

"None, to be perfectly honest," Macarona replied, "but I can direct that same question to you."

"Evidence?" the Cherub angel murmured as she started to raise her voice slightly. "I saw his body itself prior to his cremation. He was in a poor condition, albeit a peaceful state of death he would never awaken from because of you. I believe the Gentleman Devil this time because he's the only one who's been of any help trying to find me closure and justice. I use those words very heavily in this terrible instance in spite of having never trusted him before in all my life."

"Sure, you trust him now of all times when lover boy dies," Chlomaki teased her to point out the flawed logic.

"Chlomaki," the younger angel addressed her sharply without another word in light of the fact she was aware Chlomaki was a powerful witch. Offending her wouldn't have been good and possibly risked further conflict over a petty matter such as the blunt rebuke of how the Witch of Shadows phrased her comment. Deciding to avoid a confrontation with her if one was approaching, Macarona turned away from Chlomaki to stop speaking with her so she could speak with Cosmea. "I must apologize for how she said that, Cosmea; it was rather blunt of her. Still, she does raise one of two valid points. If you haven't trusted the Gentleman Devil before, why now other than because he offered aid? And to address the other, did you see any wounds on Daimonji's body when you went to see his cremation other than the explosive residue from the gun shield he wielded when it blew up? That was on me, I admit, for I caused the explosion during our fight to subdue him. It didn't outright kill him, but weakened him enough to stop the fighting between us."

"So you do admit it was your fault!" Cosmea slammed her hands down on the table and stood up abruptly.

"To the one wound, yes, but not his murder which I did not cause," Macarona asserted calmly and leaned forward in her seat, her hands folding together on the table. "Now, were there any other wounds on Daimonji's body?"

Cosmea blinked, wondering if the other angel was setting a trap for her. "No…" she answered suspiciously.

"Because when I saw Mr. Satanick strike him down, he did so with the blade's shadow from a few feet away," Macarona began to explain the process of how Daimonji perished at the Gentleman Devil's hands. "With his powers applied to the attack, he was able to slash with the sword Daimonji wielded. However, the distance apart should have meant it was impossible to attack from a range longer than close combat melee which the blade was for. With shadows, however, the Gentleman Devil could land the final blow because the shadows caused damage too and left behind no injuries that could've been seen. The feeling was extremely harmful; I should know, he used it on me as well before whisking me away from my world to this underworld. I cannot wield such powers as I prefer martial arts and hand to hand combat with somatomancy which I have used when you and I fought. I have no power over shadows at all."

It was the truth, yet the risk of it being unbelievable without any concrete evidence was still present.

"And that's your story?" the Cherub angel inquired, unsure if she truly believed it. She knew what Macarona stated about the shadows made sense and she was also aware that Satanick did indeed fight with shadows besides his aeromancy. What made it so hard to believe, however, was why the Gentleman Devil would want to kill Daimonji. Daimonji was one of his best assassins and she could think of no motive why his death would serve Satanick's plans. "How do I know the injury you dealt didn't kill him? Why would the Gentleman Devil kill one of his own assassins?"

"Do the words 'political tool' mean nothing to you, or do they go right over your head?" Chlomaki remarked to make sense of that so Cosmea could understand where they were coming from. "Maybe both, I don't know. Anyway, point is that lover boy had to die so our Devil could frame somebody—this other angel here—to get the justification he required to start that war he's always been looking to have with the Gray Garden. It didn't matter who had to die, though lover boy was the best choice in mind because he could get you involved. You want justice, vengeance, and closure." As she mentioned those aspects, she counted them off on her fingers. "He knows you'll do anything for that due to being in love with lover boy. Henceforth, you come in, start some shit, and boom—other angel dies at your hands, the hands of a Corporate Heaven angel. Ergo, now he can have a reason to arrest you for claiming you murdered a prisoner of war who'd been held hostage by him after being taken by him from her home world, thus leading to conflict between the Corporate Heaven and the Gray Garden. It also gives him a reason to keep the Corporate Heaven from acting against him too because by holding you hostage, you become a bargaining chip he can use to make them fight the Gray Garden." Stretching her arms in the air after finishing her wine, the Witch of Shadows looked satisfied with herself for having explained all of that in a coherent manner so Cosmea could understand. "Brilliant, right? And just to put a cherry on top, by killing the maid you become responsible for having murdered one of his subordinates which makes for an assault against the Devil's Kingdom and maybe even an assassination attempt against himself if he chose to spin that yarn."

"W-wha…" Cosmea's eyes widened in shock at the sudden revelation the witch was telling her.

"Also, those guards I killed?" Chlomaki added. "They had no experience dealing with Cherub angels. They were assigned to arrest you in the hope you'd resist arrest to fudge the false charges even further. Others who had the necessary experience were further back, waiting to move in. They didn't because they believed I'd handle the affair; or perhaps they didn't know I was present. Either way, you're both lucky I got to you in the nick of time first. Wouldn't do having two souls I can have in my debt die off without them having been of much use to me. You believe I saved your sorry asses just because I wanted to be nice?" the Witch of Shadows asked and shrugged. "Maybe, but debt's first."

"I think perhaps you should let them have this first occasion for free, Chlomaki," Maekami suggested to her. "With all due respect, consider their circumstances. They wouldn't be here under said circumstances because of the Gentleman Devil. Likewise, things would've turned out exactly as you said if you hadn't gotten involved when you did."

"Except my help requires payment," the Witch of Shadows clarified. "Of course, maybe a free sample the first occasion would let them consider whether they seek my services or not. It can't be entirely free all the time, you know?"

"J-just shut up for one second all of you!" Cosmea interrupted any further comments from anybody else, her breathing having grown heavier as the truth of this revelation weighed heavily on her. Discovering she had been used in the manner Chlomaki explained just now not only greatly confused her, but frightened the poor angel badly because Cosmea had no idea such ramifications were intended from the start. The weight of those consequences burdened her shoulders, dragging her into a mire of terrified bafflement as she tried to fully comprehend what the witch stated. "N-no, what you're saying can't be true…I-I didn't fall for anything. Daimonji's death was my only concern, getting justice and closure for him was more important to me. T-that's why I had to do what I did. If I hadn't, she would've gotten away."

"Precisely why the Gentleman Devil knew you could be used as a political tool," Chlomaki said nonchalantly.

Stepping away from the table while shivering nervously, Cosmea's breath began coming out as jagged and short. The poor girl went pale, eyes looking back and forth between Macarona and Chlomaki. That other angel stated she'd not been responsible for killing her lover even if she had wounded him during a fight, and the witch was saying Daimonji's death was on purpose because of the plans Satanick had and sought to implement by killing him. It was all difficult to accept, much less comprehend for it was so hard to truly understand how they'd been pawns in Satanick's game. Macarona, the girl he wanted to frame; Daimonji, the assassin he assassinated to frame her; Cosmea, the one who loved the assassin and would've done anything to seek justice, closure, and vengeance for him; and Medouco, a maid who had no real part to play other than simply being an addition to ensure the Corporate Heaven was blamed as well. Cosmea still didn't know the circumstances regarding Lil, but going by that logic it appeared the demonic lady was a pawn too because by going to the Gray Garden, she led her husband there so he could put his plan into action at once. "Maekami…" she murmured, turning to the demonic man who still stood by them as he was the only individual she could trust. "I-it's not t-true, isn't it? Y-you were a good friend of Daimonji, y-you'd know if w-what they're saying is t-true or false. P-please, s-say it isn't s-so." She fearfully stepped towards the man to look up at him pleadingly. "Please."

Without even a sigh or some other sort of gesture, Maekami simply shook his head. Whether that was to either confirm or deny what Cosmea was requesting was unclear until he spoke up. He could've said it wasn't for her to take Cosmea's side, or he could've told her the truth was indeed true. "I'm sorry, Cosmea…" he remarked by choosing the latter, "their account is indeed correct. I know this isn't what you wanted to hear, but you had to hear it. This was for your own good as trying to pursue a lie wouldn't have brought you the closure you so desperately seek to achieve for him." Watching her eyes widen in horror at the confirmation of the truth she didn't wish to hear, the demonic man simply stepped forward to wrap his arms around in a hug. She had wanted comfort, and he knew it wouldn't come from a falsified account made up to try and make her feel better by covering up what was really true. "Daimonji and I might've been no more than acquaintances through our work association, but I do respect the feelings between you both. I've no reason to lie to you for that very purpose, for it would be a disgraceful injustice against Daimonji. He may have been a loyal assassin much like myself, but he was also loyal to you. As much as I could support the erroneous belief that Miss Macarona slew him due to my support for the monarchial government, I would be doing a disservice to you by saying just that. Daimonji wouldn't have wanted it even though he supported it too and in spite of it; he'd have told the truth to you because it was the right thing to do—not for the monarchial government, but for you, Cosmea. That's the truth."

"T-the truth…" the Cherub angel murmured softly, eyes welling up with tears as she sniffed before starting to cry. "D-Daimonji…I-I d-didn't know…W-why did he have to be selected for death…W-why is this the truth?" In light of hearing it and now beginning to believe it, Cosmea found it difficult to accept. Even though she could comprehend it now because of Maekami's confirmation to her, that still didn't mean it was welcome or even acceptable. Still, she knew the demonic bar owner had her best interests at heart because he told the truth for her and Daimonji. She was thankful for that, for having somebody she could trust and call a friend because of his support for her and the man she loved. The Witch of Shadows was about to speak up again with a rather obvious comment reiterating the whole concept of the Cherub angel being a political tool, but a glance from Maekami stopped her as he gently stepped away to help Cosmea back to her seat. As he already prepared warm drinks for her in advance since he figured she'd have probably abstained from drinking anything at first, he placed another cup of warm tea in front of her which she accepted. She did not say a word of thanks, though Maekami knew she was grateful and didn't wish to bother her as she thought of her lover. Cosmea was lost in thought, pondering on Daimonji's last moments alive and how he had thought of her in death.

"You must have a lot of respect for their relationship in spite of your allegiances, Mr. Maekami," Macarona commented as sort of a compliment to him, but also as a rhetorical observation she made while witnessing the Cherub angel's reaction and how she handled the truth with his help. "Yet if you are so loyal to the monarchial government, why'd you decide to put that loyalty aside for her and Daimonji? I know you said it would have been a disservice."

"You believe there is more to it, though I'm afraid I cannot offer much more of a response other than to state what I've said is the very reason why I chose to tell her the truth instead of covering it up," the demonic man replied. "Make no mistake, Miss Macarona; although I have indeed retired from government service as an assassin, I still hold some faith in it. That doesn't mean I concur with everything it says and does especially even if it comes from our Devil himself. His methodology of using Daimonji and Cosmea in that manner is something I myself cannot approve of as respect towards him. We were colleagues, yes, and I did respect him as such which is why I cannot disrespect his final wishes in the moments of his death. Besides, isn't it normal to pay respects to the dead and not be so cruel to them?" Maekami's inquiry was a rhetorical one, for it was stated to put forth food for thought as a sensible thing to do. "They might've not been the best of individuals in life, but in death everybody is equal. In death it would be wrong to hold persistent grudges against them because the dead cannot refute the opposition. They can curse them while alive whether with their dying breath or not just as they may rise from the grave to seek vengeance, justice, and closure like Cosmea; even the practice of necromancy can assist with such endeavors. Still, the dead are not really given a chance to make their voices heard. That's why it's best to let the dead be and respect them even if they were enemies. Daimonji was an assassin and an enemy of yours, Miss Macarona, but he should be treated fairly in death as such and for Cosmea's sake."

"Indeed, I hold nothing against him in spite of his assault against me," the young angel shut her eyes and also nodded in agreement, knowing it was the right thing to do. "He followed orders as a loyal assassin, nothing more."

"You sure do seem awfully forgiving of someone who must've tried to kill you whether intentionally or not," Chlomaki commented with a cat like smirk as if she was teasing the angelic girl or bringing up yet another suspicion.

"Of course, I am considering far more than just the basics of it, Chlomaki, as there is always more to this kind of conduct than it initially appears. Everybody, regardless of who they are or what alignment they follow, has a motive, personal reasons why they do what they do," Macarona explained her perspective of the matter. "Actions may speak louder than words as the Gentleman Devil so believes, though alone actions cannot determine whether somebody is benevolent or malevolent. They are but one piece of the puzzle, a side of the coin; the other half is motive. Consider this: suppose somebody were to rob a pharmacy. Though thievery is considered a crime, what made the thief steal? Was it a need for money, and was that need greed or desperation. Greed means the money may be kept, but desperation does indicate another purpose for the gold such as either paying off somebody to stay out of trouble—whether whoever's getting paid is good or bad—or purchasing something or a service of some kind that may benefit the thief or somebody else. Yet again, it could be good or bad because the one being benefitted by this money could either be somebody who'd put it to use for benevolent means or for a malevolent purpose. However, say it was medicine; again, good would be it getting stolen to help cure somebody whereas the bad could be to sell it for funds. Of course, this example speaks of morals instead of what laws say because laws may define what kinds of behavior are upright or wicked. Even so, laws can't really dictate how people feel as people may consider other factors besides what society instructs them to do."

"No argument there," the Witch of Shadows commented, taking a sip of her wine. "Good example."

The young angel flashed a small smile of gratitude at her. "Thanks, Chlomaki," she uttered aloud and directed her attention back to the demonic man among them to address him again. "Anyway, Mr. Maekami, I had some things I wanted to inquire of you. I heard from Lil you were once an assassin under Mr. Satanick and you confirmed it too."

"Yes, what of it?" he asked, curious about what her inquiry was. "To reiterate, I am a retired assassin."

"Of course, Lil said so herself," Macarona concurred, already familiar with that bit. "But why did you retire?"

Maekami made no gesture expressing any discomfort with the subject. If he felt any, he didn't show it. Still, Macarona asked him a legitimate question to sate her own curiosity and he had no qualms in responding. "Assassins could be considered controversial individuals in the Devil's Kingdom because their loyalties are questionable. They're very much like alliances formed between businesses, guilds, and other institutions in this underworld; they can be hired and also betray their employers in the blink of an eye if the money's good enough in its amount. High fees constantly determine whether they'll go rogue. I was one of the few employed by the Gentleman Devil himself and made not a single effort to betray him. The reason being was because as the Devil of this hell, he could provide the highest wages while offering other benefits such as protection from laws he allowed us to purposely circumvent for assassinations he wanted done. Eventually, however, the assassinations proved exhausting; the pay was good, but there were several occasions when we'd have to perform late night jobs that kept us from getting sleep and sometimes overwork ourselves. There were those like Anten who enjoyed it and those like Daimonji and I who simply did it to put food on the table, attempting to survive in this underworld of corruption. It's an every man for himself predicament, a terrible situation."

"You didn't want to deal with those circumstances?" the angelic girl asked, checking if there was more.

"Yes, though there was another reason," the bar owner went on. "You see, assassins are complex individuals. We can be used as political tools and even cutthroats. We might enjoy our work or simply do it as a job. Not all of us are crazed killers, but there are indeed some who simply need to get by. Those of us who cannot stand the enjoyment try to shut ourselves off from experiencing emotions when we take a life or more than one. In this way we attempt to block out the feelings of regret, pain, anger, confusion, fear, and joy. Unfortunately, in doing so we risk losing what makes us the individuals we are—not as assassins, but as people. I speak of the humanity, Miss Macarona, humanity in experiencing those very feelings that were cut off on purpose for the sake of attempting to feel nothing when claiming lives. We're nothing more than tools or blades ourselves, but that notion is taken to the extreme without emotions because we lose identities of who are. We then become no better than the ruthless assassins who love to kill and live for the sport of it. That's why I retired when I got older and chose to open this bar, deciding to at least give the community something I wouldn't have to steal if I'd been ordered to kill for something that had to be acquired. It's not much, but it's alright."

"Still not getting the urges to kill?" the Witch of Shadows joked to playfully tease him. She raised a legitimate concern, however, for even some assassins could've missed the adrenaline of their work and might've taken it up again.

"Never had them, but I do still possess the knives I wield so that I might defend this bar, my employees, and patrons who come here to eat," Maekami clarified for her, unamused by the jab she made at him for telling his tale.

"The other demons of this town certainly must be held in high regard by you, a former assassin who could've killed some of them under the Gentleman Devil's orders," Macarona said since she thought that was how Maekami perceived his interaction with the townspeople of Zlienderstrom based on his account. "What are their thoughts of it?"

"It doesn't really matter to them; they don't care because I'm providing a service as a bar owner at a fair price which can be paid. It's just good business to show concern for those who support an enterprise by paying it for services and goods it sells. My bar is no different than even the most corrupt of corporations in this hell in that sense, though I personally strive to maintain good relations with the public so I can secure their trust. Integrity is crucial for business."

"True, honesty is indeed a worthy value in business that should be taken seriously and be practiced by all," Macarona agreed with his statement for it was very important that businesses should've been honest with customers and other consumers of goods and services. The customer was always right, after all. "Though not everything's transparent, correct? Some matters would have to be kept state secrets, am I right?" These two questions of hers now came across as suspicions the young angel was putting forth on purpose. It was a dangerous move interrogating an assassin like this despite the fact said assassin was no longer employed by the monarchial government in that sense and was retired. A much safer alternative would've been to ask if everything was told and then give the individual the right to not speak regarding any state secrets. Her eyes narrowed with determination as she sought the truth. "Is that a fair assessment?"

"U-u-um, Macarona, s-shouldn't we be dropping this line of inquiry?" Medouco asked timidly. "I-I-I mean, it could be a touchy subject for him, not to mention illegal to bring up because it's a topic not meant for public disclosure."

"With all due respect towards him and yourself, Medouco, this conversation won't leave the building," her angelic companion stated with a smile to cheer the Gorgon maid up. "We'll tell nobody else it ever happened at all."

"You sure I won't tell?" Chlomaki chuckled, smirking mischievously to scare Medouco further.

"Not if it'll benefit you in the long run," Macarona replied to pique the witch's interest in the subject. Everybody present except for Cosmea knew what the young angel was referring to. Medouco knew of it because she heard the angelic girl inform Sibuna about it before at Moonshadow Manor. As Ludwig's superior even though he was the Court Mage, Chlomaki must've likely known what Macarona was referring to as well. Even Maekami knew as he suspected she was alluding to something that involved him and only few individuals knew of. Of course, perhaps Cosmea was aware because of Daimonji; he might've told her about his work and allowed her to know secrets she'd keep for him. Choosing to break the ice because everybody anticipated what she was going to reveal, Macarona averted eye contact back to the bar owner and put forth the expected remark. "I speak of your occupation as one of Mr. Satanick's Fingers."

Her comment made the air very tense even if everybody didn't react to it. Chlomaki simply smiled because her interest and curiosity in the subject were really high; she simply placed both elbows on the table to rest her head in her hands so she could listen well. Cosmea was still thinking of Daimonji, but a momentary glance at Macarona might've suggested she knew the subject from her late lover or that she was wondering about it too for but a second before she lowered her head again to drown herself in memories of the assassin she loved. Medouco shuddered, eyes whipping to and from her angelic companion to the bar owner since she expected some kind of hostility from him. Yet all Maekami simply did was put a bent finger to his chin and consider the truth inherent in the accusation against him. He did not even appear offended by it, but merely thought of what to make of it. "So Lil told you that much, has she? You must really be such close friends with her that she'd choose to share a secret of that magnitude with you. It definitely shows she trusts your abilities and judgment as a friend, though I imagine anybody she believes can help her reform the Devil's Kingdom could become privy to the knowledge she discovered from being Mr. Satanick's wife." Saying so, he placed his hands behind his back to put them on a pair of knives sheathed under his apron. Turning around to show the girls he had them, Maekami figured at least Medouco would've been scared by the sight of them and turned back to face Macarona. "So, what did you want to know about my status as one of Mr. Satanick's Fingers for the Business Devil, Warwick? Bear in mind I take no offense to your asking as I just want to be sure of your intentions regarding this information, alright?"

"I understand, Mr. Maekami," the angel nodded, closing her eyes in spite of the fact he could've killed her right then and there in that very moment because she chose to let her guard down willingly. Nonetheless, she knew he wasn't going to kill her now because he wanted to understand where she was coming from first before deciding to murder her. Macarona knew he had that honor as a former assassin. "My intentions are to merely help Lil reform this hell. She's sick and tired of it being so corrupt, how men rule whereas women are treated poorly and are hardly given anything since wealth and power are the main restrictions in the Devil's Kingdom. This isn't healthy for the underworld and may lead it to ruin sometime in the future. It must be saved for the good of its demons, the people who inhabit it, so that they can live better and more freely with full equality for everyone. Whether you agree or disagree with me is your choice, though know this, Mr. Maekami: I shan't give up and will do anything to help Lil achieve this goal. In addition is the threat of a war your Devil declared against my own world as I must try to help it and the people that inhabit it too for their sake."

"How very admirable," the demonic man complimented her and removed his hands from the knives since Macarona convinced him of her intentions. He knew she was telling the truth and was determined to make those ideals a reality. "Go ahead, you have earned the right to hear everything from me regarding what I can tell you, Miss Macarona."

"Alright, thank you for the permission, Mr. Maekami," Macarona stated with a smile, grateful he was making the decision to aid her by giving intel. "Before the work you've done as a Finger, why else are you offering me help?"

"You helped two of my best customers yesterday, Hersilia and Albino. Besides that, I've requested numerous occasions that the Gentleman Devil's followers were not to cause any sort of trouble for my employees and customers," Maekami explained his reasoning to her. "Because of that, I believe you've earned a chance to prove yourself to me as that's only fair. As I said, it's good business; as you're friends with the girls, my customers, it'd be fair to them as well."

"Ah, then I suppose you might've also overheard my explanation to them then as well considering you already know I'm a close friend of Lil," the angel deduced which the demonic man confirmed with a nod. "Now then, I have been thinking about this for some time since she first told me of your status. She said you were Mr. Satanick's Ring Finger, explaining that you and the others were involved in the black market for the Gentleman Devil and Warwick. Originally I assumed you were also good at business trades besides assassinations, but I cannot be sure. Is this true?"

Maekami nodded. "To some extent, yes. We're required to familiarize ourselves with the black market and acquire enough expertise with its customs and practices to oversee its administration. Additionally, as assassins, you'd arrive at the conclusion that we must also eliminate any opposition to the black market and strife within it to ensure the whole economic structure is secure and secret. The black market is constantly on the move, you see, never operating within the same place twice in at least a long time. Since you must be aware of the black market, surely you must also know about the legislation put in place by Her Majesty if you have somehow studied that too in some way. In accords with international law in the underworlds, the Business Devil's black market has been banned from all other hells due to its illegal market traffics with all sorts of nefarious goods and services and the spiked prices on everything on sale."

"I know of that much, of course. I've spoken with Her Highness herself and Medouco about it too."

"Have you now?" the demonic man sounded surprised when she referred to the Queen. Apparently he hadn't expected Macarona would've known GriRea personally. This fact didn't change her worthiness of knowing the intel he offered to provide, though it did increase his opinion of her by a bit. Despite being loyal to the Gentleman Devil, he possessed great respect for Her Majesty and knew it would've offended her if he tried anything dangerous against somebody she thought so highly of. Of course, Macarona's allusion indicated she only spoke with GriRea about it; nevertheless Maekami decided to be cautious and give her the benefit of the doubt since she didn't seem to be lying. If Macarona said she did indeed gain the Queen's favor—which actually was true—he'd most likely believe her. "Well, if you're already well familiar with the subject, I'm not sure I can explain much more about how the black market works."

"True," the angelic girl agreed. "Still, I thought it helped to know your role, Mr. Maekami. Thanks for that."

"I am grateful you find the knowledge of aid, however slight and plain it may be."

"You're welcome," Macarona smiled, but then frowned again. "Though what about Mr. Satanick's council? Considering how Mr. Murdock and Mr. Storm are the Steward and Spymaster respectively, wouldn't they be active participants within the black market as well? Their roles would essentially be much like yours, and they'd be patrons and dealers of sorts to some degree. Does that not make sense, or are there other ways in which they support that work?"

"Of the council, only Ludwig isn't involved because he gets his materials and resources from me," Chlomaki explained the Court Mage's role. "I've got contacts in the Witch World he uses, and I also know the Great Witch too."

"And Mr. Storm and Mr. Murdock?" the angel inquired about them.

"They have connections in the black market in our underworld, though that's as far as their power goes. The both of them have no means of contacting the Business Devil aside from us—at least, that's what the conditions are supposed to be like," Maekami continued where Chlomaki left off by describing the other two council members. "It isn't easy anymore trying to send word across the borders and through other underworlds to the Black Market World he presides over. Her Majesty forbid all contact with his underworld when she discovered what he was doing besides just forbidding his underworld from trading with all of the other hells. The only point of contact would be sending along messages in bottles through underground rivers known only to those in that world as well as the Hands who personally deliver those messages themselves. Us Fingers are not authorized by the Hands as far as I'm concerned, though I do believe Yagi is the only one whom Mr. Satanick has allowed to know the secret route because he goes there with him—unfortunately, I cannot be sure, however. I can't say the same for the Right Hand either as I don't know the identities of whichever deity it is and that deity's Fingers. However, what I can confirm is that Storm functions in much the very same way the rest of us Fingers do by performing the same duties—in fact, as I've retired, I believe he took over my status as Ring Finger. As for Murdock, he is an important dealer for this underworld's black market chapter. He has more power than most other dealers due to being on the Gentleman Devil's council, yet even he is subject to Mr. Satanick's orders."

"I see, that does make sense, yes," Macarona nodded to show she understood what he was saying. "If Mr. Yagi's so important to Mr. Satanick, surely he must have access to greater privileges than the other Fingers, right?"

"He does, of course, as he is Mr. Satanick's second-in-command and the Marshal and Chancellor," the bar owner confirmed for her. "For example, he is the only other individual besides the Gentleman Devil who knows the precise location of Castle Flankenstein in the Devil's Kingdom and how to get there. Nowadays this is a contradiction because a relative of Yagi's has been reassigned from Castle Flankenstein by Mr. Satanick, a young man by the name of Envi, I believe. He was made an assassin by the Gentleman Devil to replace my spot in the trio of Anten, Daimonji, and myself, though I do not think he was considered worthy of becoming a Finger. Additionally, Yagi is also granted the access of knowing the Index Finger's identity; I'm afraid I do not know it myself, partly because I wasn't privy to it."

"I met Envi in the Gray Garden when he came with Daimonji and Anten to find Lil and bring her back to the Devil's Kingdom," the young angel explained. "He was with a little girl, Crea, who also came from that very castle. Not only that, but Lil also told me Doctor Flankenstein was the Index Finger and that his chief of staff, Kumori, was the replacement for him when he somehow passed away. Although you can't confirm it, do you think it might be true?"

"Hmm…" Maekami put a bent finger to his chin as he considered the plausibility of that idea. "Maybe, but I truly wouldn't know as only Yagi would. I'm not sure how Lil herself would've come by this information, though it's possible to harbor a guess based solely on the fact she is the Gentleman Devil's wife and thus could find that out for herself. Knowing her from my days as a warden guarding her, I daresay she would certainly have her ways to get it."

"Ah…" Macarona murmured, shutting her eyes to process the knowledge she learned from Maekami. She figured it would've been more complex than what Lil had told her at first, but the demonic man's intel was quite solid on several aspects. For one thing, it appeared not all of the Fingers were granted the same access to certain levels of the Gentleman Devil's machinations. In addition was the idea that Fingers could've been replaced, but then what became of them when they were discarded? The Gentleman Devil seemed to have a preference for picking assassins as Fingers, perhaps suggesting he probably thought about having former Fingers killed off with others who knew about what was going on to keep everything secret. Yet Maekami was alive now as a retired assassin, but why was he allowed to live? Furthermore, only the Hands and perhaps their best Finger would've had contact with Warwick in the Black Market World; Yagi exemplified that just as he exemplified being the only Finger aware of the Index Finger and the location of Castle Flankenstein. That much was clear, yet the matter of discarded Fingers like Maekami wasn't; hence why this question had to be posed at once to further glean more information. "Mr. Maekami, what becomes of retired Fingers?"

"They are killed off," the bar owner responded, sliding a finger across his throat as a gesture of decapitation. "Other Fingers are sent after them to assassinate them. I'm the only exception since I'm one of few demons who can defeat the Gentleman Devil in combat. That's how I became a Finger and managed to avoid the standard execution."

"Hmm…" Putting that statement into consideration of everything else, Macarona guessed Satanick's Fingers were similar to prosthetics in the sense they could be discarded if broken after having already replaced those original Fingers on his hand. And if they were like prosthetics from that angle, there must have been others like Maekami before him who became Fingers and were subsequently assassinated when they were no longer useful to the Gentleman Devil. Maekami confirmed the very suspicion she had regarding that, and Macarona was thankful he was alive to do it.

"Would that be all you'd like to know for now, Miss Macarona?" Maekami checked if she was satisfied.

"I think so," the young angel nodded and opened her eyes to smile at him. "Thank you very much for the information, Mr. Maekami. I appreciate that you'd trust me enough to turn over such valuable state secrets. If I may inquire further about how this shall be kept quiet, however, what shall you do? What stance will you take on this?"

"Neutrality, so to speak. I am still a loyal citizen of the Devil's Kingdom first and foremost. Even so, I could make an exception by allowing you to leave with this knowledge and do as you see fit with it if the Gentleman Devil should fall from grace. Consider it my thanks for aiding two of my patrons and my bar, but I cannot do much more."

"I understand, and thank you so much, for you've already done so much in giving us this information."

…

"You've overheard everything, have you?" the bar owner asked long after the girls had left his establishment.

The dog—jackal—demon nodded from his seat at the counter, having dispelled the invisibility spell he cast upon himself to remain hidden from sight. "Every word. You've done well turning over everything I needed to hear. All is recorded for Her Majesty to peruse once I deliver the tape to her. All I need to do now is investigate the finances."

"Good luck with that. Might I offer you a free drink on the house, Mr. Sibuna?"

Sibuna shook his head. "I cannot stay long, I must depart in secret with the utmost haste immediately. Though answer one thing for me, Maekami. Did you answer everything because you knew I was here, or because of that angel?"

"I would be lying if I said your presence was the only factor I considered," Maekami answered honestly. "I am suitably intrigued by Miss Macarona and her ancestral connection to Rigatona, and I must say she might succeed. If you will allow me the opportunity to pose an inquiry since you asked me one, might I know if you'll have me arrested?"

Again Sibuna shook his head. "That's for Her Majesty to decide, so you're fine for now." However, he cast a suspicious glare at the retired assassin. "That is, unless you do pose a large threat to my investigation and the Queen."

"I've no intention at all."

…

 **Once more we come to the end of another chapter. Thankfully Cosmea and Maekami have now been persuaded by Macarona to not oppose her even if they cannot offer much aid. Unfortunately, I'm beginning to reach the point where the conclusion of** _An Otherworldly Marital Dispute_ **will be wrapping up. There shall be just a few more chapters to go after this one since I'd like to get this story done so I can move on to the next one. That's why I'm now switching gears towards the final arc of this story. I've done pretty much all I wanted to do when developing the Devil's Kingdom, Zlienderstrom, characters, and the fight with Cosmea. I'm satisfied with how everything turned out, so I think it is time to start getting everything finished to give this story a fitting conclusion.**


	25. Chapter Twenty-Five: A Plot Revealed

To say Satanick was all smiles that day was overemphasizing how he felt regarding the current state of affairs concerning his upcoming war against the Gray Garden. There was indeed a sophisticated smile on his face due to the preparations all set and ready to go, yet there was more to it. While the supply caravans were arriving in due time with large regiments of guards defending them from getting robbed, there was hardly a need to worry about them. Routes taken by the caravans were all kept secret and known only to those who took them as well as the Gentleman Devil himself and Yagi. Each convoy was well-defended and carried everything loaded up for the legions within In Between and also those that would've been arriving in the Gray Garden. Not to mention the legions were already almost there. Satanick hoped to trigger the invasion within due time by having his military move in at once to crush his foes quickly. That initial assault would've been the deciding factor determining who'd seize victory because he would order every legion present to all move in at once to overwhelm the Gray Garden. Only the legions stationed between the Flower World and the Shadowed Sanctuary to the Gray Garden would've been held back. The reason for that was to ensure they'd keep the inhabitants of that world trapped and surrounded when Satanick's military eventually seized victory.

The only unfortunate setback was Lil because his wife defended that world from his forces as reports came in on the failures of each raid performed to try weakening them. Satanick knew his wife was a problem he'd need to handle personally with some assistance to wear her down before she could either be captured or executed. He really didn't care about her anymore at this point as the divorce papers were already signed by him and a subordinate who forged Lil's signature just to make it look like she did sign them. Legal documents had to be signed by the appropriate individuals pertaining to whatever the issue was, and he certainly did require those divorce papers to appear as such. Even though Lil didn't sign them, the divorce would be authorized whether she liked it or not—obviously, she'd relish being divorced.

However, another incident he had to consider was the report from Lieutenant Ken regarding Mors. For some reason Reficul's son passed through the Gray Garden en route to his home underworld and demanded to be granted passage back home. Ken had caved, informing the Gentleman Devil that Mors placed him in a position in which he'd have been negatively impacted by refusing or following orders. Satanick understood the ramifications of that problem, how refusing the son of another Devil passage into his home underworld would've been too costly as Reficul would've demanded why her own son was denied access. Additionally was the concern of Mors having been harmed, which, fortunately didn't pass, but nonetheless Ken's remark about changing his mind was also something Mors was going to report to his mothers. That was a stupid remark on the lieutenant's part and Satanick was going to have him executed for that if only to make an attempt at smoothing over relations with the Stoic Devil and her underworld. Making the news known that a war was being fought between the Gray Garden and his own Devil's Kingdom should've probably kept Reficul from interfering unless it was to defend her son or preserve commercial trade. Nonetheless, Satanick had hope she'd listen to his silver tongue spinning yarns of how he'd promise to split the spoils of war with her and Rosaliya to prevent them from acting. It was one truth he wasn't going to lie about, for he really would've given them each a cut.

Unfortunately, negotiations with them both haven't begun yet. The Gentleman Devil planned on contacting them first and putting forth his offers to them prior to the invasion beginning on his orders to quell any resentment they possessed against him. Reficul and Rosaliya hadn't sent word to him yet expressing their dissatisfaction, so perhaps they hadn't received word yet from their own subordinates that the war was ongoing. Still, Satanick believed they'd see things his way. They were Devils like himself after all and were in allegiance to Her Majesty, the Queen. Kcalb, though still a Devil, wasn't, thus portraying him as a potential enemy to the royal dynasty. All Satanick had to do was make that case to them and wield his silver tongue to make them come around with his ideas of victory for complete hellish supremacy.

Speaking of GriRea, he'd actually been contacted by her earlier and had used his demonic powers to warp straight to Snowflake Keep where she resided and presided over the region of Winter's Grace. Usually he would've traveled by way of locomotive for the scenic tour of the other regions located in between his and hers, though with his invasion taking precedence he had to make this quick. It wasn't a social visit, and it didn't seem like that from how the email was written. A political or economic venture perhaps, maybe business of demanding how he was fulfilling his office as the Devil of this underworld. Whatever the case, the Gentleman Devil always paid his fair share of tribute to GriRea when he was required to. Dealing with her wouldn't have been an issue so long as it was short and to the point.

While strolling through a lavishly decorated corridor with walls painted dark blue and decorated by various tapestries and portraits of: landscapes, individual demons, historical events, and ordinary paintings along with typical furniture one would've found in a hallway such as: tables, chairs, display cases, and mirrors, he thought of his victory. Seizing victory over the Gray Garden under the conditions he sought to implement against it would've been a cinch. Unconditional surrender was what he sought, seeking the resources and territory he'd share with the other Devils and GriRea to keep them appeased. The resources consisted of everything everybody owned and everyone themselves as domesticated servants and slaves whereas the territory would be property and land. To make matters better, he hadn't heard word from the Corporate Heaven either since Fumus must've been too busy with his own work to figure out what to do. Even if the Smoking God did try to get involved for the sake of preserving commercial trade, he still had to fix problems caused by the raids committed against border communities on his side of the border between his heaven and Satanick's underworld. That would've taken time, buying the Gentleman Devil all the time he needed to deal with the Gray Garden prior to invading the Corporate Heaven over the issue of Cosmea and her drive for vengeful justice as the Cherub angel was responsible for not only attacking Macarona, but also one of the maids who worked for Satanick.

Although Cosmea was nowhere to be found, however, the Gentleman Devil easily assumed she was alive if wounded by Macarona—either that or Macarona had killed her. If alive, she could've made another attempt once her injuries healed and she fully recovered. If dead, Satanick then had the means of fabricating a story of how Macarona murdered an innocent angel from the Corporate Heaven to keep herself from getting caught in an escape attempt. It wasn't important whether she was alive or dead so long as he could eventually dispose of the younger angel he still held captive. In spite of the fact Macarona might've had her uses, she was a threat he couldn't have fighting back against him and Warwick. That was why the young angel had to perish, though so far Satanick could pursue that to his leisure. Macarona came back alive and so had Medouco after their visit to Moonshadow Manor, yet it was likely they certainly encountered Cosmea at some point and fought her. What he believed wasn't likely was that they had conversed over current affairs, particularly Daimonji's death which he knew was a touchy subject for the Cherub angel. Cosmea would have definitely continued to pursue them just as the Gentleman Devil would've taken his time with them all, no rush.

Those two inexperienced guards he sent ahead of the experienced veterans who knew how to capture and kill Cherub angels were definitely reported dead. The cause was unknown and neither Satanick nor the investigators saw a reason to request Ludwig's professional opinion on the subject. He was busy constructing magical weapons and armor after all, so everyone figured they'd let him and his subordinates be for the time being. The war came first and foremost.

Nothing else was plaguing the military operation and no problems occurred during the past several days. He possessed enough freedom of mobility and control to regulate the war effort as he saw fit. This visit to see Her Majesty and his talks with the other Devils were of no concern to him regarding that. Everything felt clear and easy to handle.

"You summoned me?" he asked after stepping into a grand hall that served as part of an imperial art gallery that was open to those inside the castle. Staff cleaned it on a daily basis and determined what: portraits, ancient relics, and weapons with matching suits of armor went on display. Those invited to Snowflake Keep could view these priceless works of art and history freely unlike in museums that required entry fees for one-time visits or daily subscriptions to memberships that provided access and greater privileges. It was a beautiful grand hall, decorated by benches and chairs with bookshelves lining the walls too containing manuscripts about each piece of art displayed and the creators. Windows on the far wall showed the snowy garden below filled with beautiful plants that survived only in winter along with impressive ice sculptures that hardly melted, but were often deconstructed on purpose to produce different images with the ice. Adjacent to these was a labyrinth of hedges covered in snow as well as a frozen lake for ice skating if anybody was interested. Watching the outdoor scenery as a gentle snowfall descended from the cloudy sky proved itself to be a daily activity too since the weather was so graceful and sophisticatedly serene that it was peaceful. Stood before the windows doing just that was GriRea, observing the snowfall with her back turned to her vassal so she could watch the scenery.

Upon hearing him approach, the Queen simply turned her head to acknowledge his presence for a moment before averting her attention back to the falling snow. The facial expression she displayed was a usual one, her eyes full of aristocratic solemnity whereas a frown showed her feelings were quite neutral towards the vassal. Granted, she was always like that towards others since she usually didn't display any emotions of any sort. One might've considered the lack of feelings to be a lack of humanity, though this was actually expected of somebody of such regal status as her. GriRea was the Queen of all underworlds and as such had to behave and act like one accordingly in order to please her vassals and the people she served as their ruler. Everything she did had to be examined by her with intense scrutiny, yet everybody was doing the same to her because she was expected to be a good ruler. It was more or less evaluation of GriRea's responsibilities from both herself and others, and it was also why she, like her predecessors, allowed Devils and demons under her guidance to have great autonomy in determining what the hells they governed were like. Although GriRea still acted as an administrator to them to ensure their power was in check and didn't supersede hers, they were considered to have had true power in that sense. Of course, she was still much stronger than all the Devils combined. "You've come as requested, Satanick," she commented blandly as he strolled over to join her. "I am grateful you took time out of your busy schedule to come and deliver your report concerning how the Devil's Kingdom is surviving under your reign. I must admit I am always curious as to how it's able to live in spite of such appalling conditions in place."

"It's because both the economy and monarchial government are in good hands experienced to regulate them," the Gentleman Devil replied to give her an obvious answer, one she knew very well from his previous reports on the matters she demanded to hear from him. Still, every time he visited she would make that same remark as if she were unfamiliar with it and expected change. Reform never came, however, yet the Devil's Kingdom still lived. Stuffing his hands inside his pockets while watching the snow with her, he pondered on the moment in question. They were alone together and he was secretly working with Warwick. If he assassinated GriRea now, it would have benefitted the black market by turning everybody's attention towards a successor as the Queen had no heir while he and the Business Devil went about their business while the Right Hand offered support during the underworlds' infighting. Unfortunately, that might have accelerated their plans a bit too quickly and could've placed unwanted attention on them which was why Satanick decided now wasn't the best time even if he was secretly armed to commit the treasonous deed. Nonetheless, it never hurt to keep the dagger and his demonic powers at the ready in case things went south. "Truly beautiful weather we're having," he remarked while they watched the snow together. "Perfect for an amicable chat wouldn't you say?"

"Am I to assume you are planning something in secret, Satanick?" Her Majesty inquired rather suspiciously.

The Gentleman Devil shook his head. He had to admit the way he phrased that was distrustful, though he'd simply allay her concern as nothing more than sheer paranoia at the thought of possible enemies around her who may have taken an opportunity to assassinate her. Perhaps she thought he was and might've known he was armed, though Satanick sought to quickly reassure her it wasn't the case. "Not at all, Your Majesty, I am simply commenting on the moment and the vista that makes it so stunningly serene. Though I will admit I carry a weapon on me in addition to my devilish powers, it is only for your safety, Your Highness. It wouldn't do to have the moment interrupted by a threat."

GriRea cast a suspicious glance at him, but nevertheless returned her gaze towards the snow. "I see…" she murmured quietly, but still loud enough for him to hear. Maybe she bought his fabricated response to some extent if not fully, but at least it seemed she was no longer concerned about what he was planning for this moment as if it became unimportant in the face of what she would demand of him. "Now, what of your report? How is the Devil's Kingdom faring as of late outside the region of Winter's Grace? Is the economy in shape enough to provide for its citizens by sustaining the population? Has your government made strides in domestic affairs? Were negotiations with foreign underworlds and worlds not governed by either deities or Devils handled fairly towards both parties? What of current relations with the Corporate Heaven? Have you ensured our wellbeing is being administered to with our civilization protected from any and all threats that might be posed from whoever may arise to cause discord and chaos among us?"

"So many questions as always, Your Highness," Satanick chuckled, not bothered by her asking the same kind of questions she normally inquired of her subordinates and vassals. "If I may suggest, why not ask one at a time before putting the rest forward all at once? But nonetheless, I have the answers you seek. As I've just said, the monarchial government and our economy are in experienced hands that know how to take care of them for the populace. Other regions not under your control are intact even if you find the restrictions my predecessors and I placed on wealth and gender to be too constrictive and overly obstructive. They're the same as always with negotiations faring well on every front, both domestically and internationally. Why, the future Youkai Kingdom has made additional progress with its secession from our underworld as its own world; unfortunately, however, it requires a male heading its government. Nevertheless everything is running smoothly, including our relations with the Corporate Heaven; the Smoking God possesses no motivation to attack us where there is none. He is still a valuable ally when we're not at war, but I must say we cannot expect him or any subordinates of his to become an issue, hence why we must always be constantly wary."

"Would that explain why there are a couple legions stationed at the border of our hell and his heaven? They've not caused trouble to give him a reason to invade, have they?" the Queen inquired, focusing on those legions. GriRea's awareness of them wasn't so surprising to the Gentleman Devil since he thought she'd find out, but he'd assure her the legions weren't a problem and wouldn't cause any issues. Of course, it would be a lie he'd intentionally say to her.

"But of course not, Your Majesty. My legions are not so ignorant and foolish as to attack him without orders."

"You have not given them any orders of the sort?"

Satanick shook his head. "Not at all, Your Highness."

GriRea directed another suspicious glare at him. "And what of the legion presently near Winter's Grace?"

"Again, for your protection, my Queen," the Gentleman Devil responded simply, no elaboration needed. She appeared to be too suspicious of a legion sitting directly on the border into Winter's Grace. Said legion was only there because Satanick didn't want her to participate in the war. If it came down to it, he would definitely order it to invade Winter's Grace and damage the region's society or outright destroy it. Again, it was another circumstance that could've either accelerated surreptitious planning or drawn unwanted attention. However, the legion was instructed to be known since the Gentleman Devil expected the Queen would've probably contacted him as she'd already done. Henceforth Satanick was in a position to make his case to GriRea that it was to ensure she'd be safe while keeping the clandestine motive of preventing her from acting in the war in any way concealed. It was the perfect strategy with his silver tongue. "There are would be pretenders to the throne everywhere in the shadows, waiting to stake their claims and see to your assassination for dominance over the underworlds. We, your vassals, as well as the citizens support you; nonetheless pretenders might emerge. Besides false rulers are enemies of the hells, heavens who must conflict with us as per the natural law. Even worlds not governed by deities or Devils may prove themselves problematic as possible threats."

"Such as the Gray Garden, Satanick?" the Queen raised an eyebrow at this inquiry of hers. "You are aware it's peaceful, a tranquil world of harmonious coexistence between angels and demons in addition to their Nephilim as well?"

"Appearances can be deceiving, Your Majesty," he attempted to correct her by reminding GriRea it was not a good idea to judge a book by its cover. "You must understand that a rose can very well become a ruse. I suppose you received word from your royal couriers who deliver the news to your ears on a daily basis that our hell is at war with the Gray Garden. One of their citizens murdered one of my subordinates during an operation in which we were trying to rescue my wife from their clutches after she'd been kidnapped while simply passing through. As per the international regulations, the perpetrator—a trained guard who served the White Goddess and Black Devil—has been apprehended and shall face justice. Although, I admit I'm not following them strictly because I believe she'll be let off the hook."

"So rather than allow her to be tried and convicted in her own world as you negotiate with the Gray Garden, you've essentially arrived at the conclusion a war will be more beneficial? Did you even negotiate, or did talks fail?"

"We've negotiated with them, though everything fell through, hence the war," Satanick replied with what could've only been described as a half-truth and a half-lie. "Regretfully we must eliminate a world that has become so beneficial to us indirectly by way of commercial trade with the Corporate Heaven, the Shadowed Sanctuary, and the Flower World. Even so, there is a silver lining, Your Highness. From this war, we can acquire resources and territory for the underworlds and possibly use it as a front against the heavens in times of strife against them. Consider it, a world wherein the Black Devil who resigned his duties as one of your vassals to make peace with the White Goddess once again comes under imperial authority. Then we'd have two worlds under our complete dominance—three if counting Warwick's Black Market World. We'd outnumber the heavens with demons stronger in numbers and power if we're consolidating our resources and territories against the deities. If we gain support from worlds with no divine influence, we'd be set and underworlds would be paving the way towards hellish dominance over all of the worlds in existence."

Having directed her attention to him once he finished speaking after looking out the windows to visualize the scenario her vassal laid out for her to consider, GriRea put some thought into what the benefits and consequences of dominating another world to oppose the heavens would've been. "That does sound…" she paused, considering the correct term to apply, "tempting." Her assumption was right as Satanick's idea was enticing. Of course, that was if it worked out properly. What he left out were the consequences of declaring a war against another world: fighting two to one against its Goddess and Devil unless support from the other Devils and royal authority came in; time consumed by conflict with that world; regulation also taking time to ensure it was up and running; spreading supplies there that may have caused said supplies to be spread too thin elsewhere; and running out of resources and territory too quickly. These were all factors that needed to be considered, and she wondered if the Gentleman Devil thought of them as he was thinking about how preparations were going. As alluring as his offer was, she still wasn't convinced. "Yet I don't think a measure such as this war is necessary, really. Kcalb's one of my former vassals as you've noted; despite his resignation, my authority over him still holds and I'm positive he would respect said authority by carrying out any of my requests."

"At the very least I encourage you to think about it, Your Highness," her vassal attempted to make the Queen consider pondering on it further. "I have already taken the necessary precautions and ordered for all preparations to be carried out at once. It's been a long time since the Devil's Kingdom has gone to war against another civilization; the soldiers are all itching for a fight as it'll be good exercise for them to hone their skills by using the war to train and gain experience. You wouldn't want to quell their need for opponents by ordering them to stand down after everything's completed, right?" He smiled, trying to come across as persuasive as possible to make her come around eventually. A defense or offense against heavens was fine so long as there was a justified reason for conflict, but it still needed to be authorized even though a lot of her other vassals didn't seek her approval. While she still needed to sign her consent to allow a war to be fought, GriRea didn't really do anything to oppose her Devils if they started a war unless it would've been detrimental to the underworlds as a whole. "Please, do consider the needs of our people, your ever loyal subjects."

"I always do," the Queen replied as he began to walk away after bowing out of respect for her.

"Then I'm sure you'll weigh the option of this war fairly," Satanick commented as he strode away. "Now if you'll excuse me, Your Majesty, I must be taking my leave now. I've duties of my own to administer to, so I'm afraid I must cut this visit short. It would've been nice conversing with you on a social level, though another time will suffice."

"Just a moment, Satanick," GriRea remarked aloud for him to hear, making it an official order. "I have not authorized you to depart just yet. There are still issues that have risen as of late concerning this war you seek to start."

"What problems would they be, Your Majesty?" the Gentleman Devil asked calmly, turning back to her to see she wasn't even looking at him. He couldn't tell what facial expression she was pulling as her back was to him, so he didn't know she had shut her eyes to go over the issues she'd begun to bring up. "If they're a nuisance, I can deal—"

She didn't allow him to finish the thought, interrupting Satanick by assuming command over their dialogue. Had she done so she'd have known he'd simply say he'd take care of things on her behalf. Even without that confirmation, GriRea still knew it was exactly what he'd promise based on how far he got before she spoke up sharply. "This war you're declaring against the Gray Garden over the death of one of your subordinates; shall it really be of benefit? To whom shall it aid in the coming long term rather than the short term: all hells, or Warwick?" Her inquiry bordered on suspicions again, yet Satanick knew she was getting further to the truth. He wasn't worried, however, for he knew she knew he had once highly supported Warwick—secretly he still did—and the allusion he made to the Business Devil must've reminded her of that old truth. "Am I correct in assuming you wanted to declare this strange war all along?"

"It'll benefit all underworlds, Your Majesty, and I'll concede I did plan in advance for the war to occur."

"Yes, your financial records and troop movements of your military did indeed confirm that crucial fact."

Satanick narrowed his eyes somewhat, raising an eyebrow in confusion. He had also figured she'd discover where his legions were and how large each one was in addition to the organization of each particular legion. What he hadn't counted on were the financial documents pertaining to the war. Though he thought as well she would estimate what it cost to build up the military and mobilize it towards the Gray Garden, her awareness of those records was a surprise even to him. Nevertheless he wasn't bothered by it since he knew she was capable of acquiring the documents. "Pardon?" he simply murmured a single word, unsure why she even mentioned them to begin with. Now he was the suspicious one, thinking she was gradually beginning to piece together a coherent account of his relations to Warwick. Irony abounded in the moment as he wondered how she came about that information without his knowledge of her request. If she did, he'd have been the first to know. "Perhaps I misheard you, Your Majesty. Did you cite pecuniary papers that pertain to my military and the mobilization of said military just now? This is the first I've heard of it from you."

"Is it?" the Queen turned around and still stood at her place by the windows. "I've made numerous requests concerning similar issues in the past. Some have been fulfilled, but a few haven't reached me even as of yet. Although several of the reports I speak of were truthful, there were some that seemed to be fabricated somewhat or entirely."

"Miscommunication on my end, it seems," the Gentleman Devil nodded with a smile, understanding this concern. "Those reports might've been worded in a way you might be unfamiliar with, containing vocabulary jargon which might not be understood well if they were written in another language or used phrases and such not commonly associated with what must be said. That may explain the lack of pure clarity within those reports. Other than these, the requests that didn't make it most likely haven't reached my ears due to other issues that likely took precedent." He was hoping she'd buy that, yet he would have to comply in order to make it convincing. "I'll personally look into it on your behalf, Your Highness, and get back to you as soon as everything's properly in order from beginning to the very end."

"Will you now, Satanick?" GriRea demanded coldly, appearing as if she weren't believing it in spite of his assurance he would cooperate—if not fully as he could've covered some things up. "Considering how I've numerously demanded you respond by certain dates in the past and followed up by contacting my staff to keep me informed of problems and the like in addition to whether you've received the requests or not, I'm no longer so certain. Why, you'll possibly conceal something of value to the court that may be of crucial importance to them. In that case, I'll personally assume full control of this investigation by taking it into my own hands as necessary to ensure I understand the truth."

"I don't believe that would be at all necessary, Your Majesty," her vassal attempted to politely persuade her not to. He shut his eyes, shaking his head while waving a hand to dismiss the notion she brought up despite knowing this gesture and his denial would've made her more suspicious. Still, she had no concrete evidence. "As the Queen of our underworlds, you are obviously busy governing and administering to all of them, including ours. Please, allow me an opportunity to assist via full cooperation in your investigation. I'll oversee everything personally as promised, thus reducing any stress you may feel from the weight of having to perform your responsibilities. I am your vassal, after all."

"And as my vassal I am ordering you to stand down so that I may assume this responsibility since I do not believe you'll comply, or least not fully. It is indeed most necessary because I'm not so sure I trust you on this matter." Saying so she raised an arm and outstretched it forward, holding her hand out to use her fingers to gesture for something she needed at the moment. At first Satanick thought she was referring to him, but a tape recorder gently being thrown past him caught his attention as he turned to face whoever threw it. An invisibility spell was immediately dispelled to reveal another individual standing there, a dog—jackal—demon in a suit whom the Gentleman Devil quickly recognized.

"Sibuna…" he hissed sharply, disapproving of the Queen's Steward eavesdropping on their conversation. Something told him the other demon's presence was intentional, however, as GriRea's gesture was meant for Sibuna. Under any other circumstances the dog—jackal—demon might've responded, but instead he remained very quiet. Nevertheless his presence made Satanick very suspicious now because of the tape recorder which might've contained evidence on the audio track and also due to other demons present. The Gentleman Devil could very well deny what anything on that tape recorder was because it was nothing more than an oral testimony without evidence, so he was confident in his silver tongue to falsify an account against it by claiming it was nothing more than oral testimony that might've been a lie conceived by somebody who wished to frame him for any crime GriRea would've prosecuted. Satanick's bigger concern, however, was the number of other demons present and if they were nightblades, assassins, or inquisitors. While he could probably handle them, his abilities wouldn't have been enough against the Queen's powers.

Averting his attention back to Her Majesty, he listened as she played the tape to discern who was speaking and what the dialogue was about. He made out the voices of Macarona, Medouco, and Maekami, recognizing that they were in fact discussing secretive matters regarding the Gentleman Devil's status as Warwick's Left Hand with Maekami as a Finger. It displeased him even though he didn't show it, yet another factor he despised was Cosmea's voice as well indicating she wouldn't have been a threat to Macarona anymore. This didn't perturb him since he could've simply eliminated both angels via other methods that would've accomplished what he set out to use them for. Unfortunately, Satanick also recognized Chlomaki's voice on the tape recorder as she gave away crucial information too. It was bad enough the Witch of Shadows was involved too because he knew one of her familiars was a permanent resident of Snowflake Keep to maintain a close connection with GriRea because Chlomaki herself had a connection to the Great Witch. Henceforth the Queen could maintain relations with the Witch World and contact the Great Witch whenever witches and their craft were required for something or to place a witch within an underworld. "Allow me to get things straight, Satanick," Her Majesty spoke sharply as she paraphrased the content of that audio log. "You are working with Warwick for whatever purposes when I specifically ruled that his black market and all contact with him was forbidden. One of your retired subordinates, whom stated he was stronger than you, provided all of this information with a witch. Additionally, you attempted to frame the angels from the Gray Garden and the Corporate Heaven as well by putting both at odds with another to incite conflict between them. Am I correct in assuming this and the fact you'll mop up both?"

The Gentleman Devil smiled coolly, unperturbed by the recording because it was oral testimony, not evidence. "I'm afraid you've come to an erroneous conclusion, Your Highness," he stated to begin allaying her concerns, using an easy account that should've bypassed her beliefs to make the truth known to her—the 'truth' he was seeking to make when he was really lying. "What you hold in your hand is an audio log. That is merely a piece of oral testimony right there without concrete evidence to support it. It is not a tangibly solid form of proof to confirm suspicions it may raise. If I may suggest, perhaps you should also consider who's saying that and why. Perhaps they are enemies seeking to uproot everything we've worked hard to accomplish and sustain. As the party they're making the claims against, it seems likely they seek to get rid of me since they'll likely want to damage the Devil's Kingdom and potentially go after you next."

"Maybe so, but I would rather hear the whole story from all parties involved in this farce of yours," the Queen stated in opposition to his remark, claiming she wanted to know everything about what was going on from everyone.

"Even if they'll fabricate their claims to make their story believable?"

"You mean by doing precisely what you are doing now, Satanick?" GriRea asked rhetorically, not buying his fabricated claim and stepping forward to close the gap between herself and him. The Gentleman Devil attempted to say something, requesting she didn't lump him together with liars without any evidence that was solid, concrete, and also tangible with well-constructed logic holding it together with what she heard. Unfortunately for him, the Queen wouldn't allow him to say anything against her remark as she delivered a scathing order to him. "Know this, Satanick: I shall be assuming direct command of this investigation myself, and I shall hear from _ALL_ parties involved in the court during trial prior to you authorizing the order to initiate further conflict and the beginning of fighting in this war. That means I'll personally address all of your subordinates one by one, and the same goes for the White Goddess and Black Devil in addition to their citizens, especially Macarona. Furthermore, I am to also hear testimony from your wife, Lil, herself." Stopping directly in front of him, acknowledging that he himself was likely inwardly seething just as she was, GriRea ensured she was close enough to let him see how enraged she was. Her fury, while controlled, was quite livid. "Am I clear, Satanick?" she inquired to know if he understood. "Or must I repeat this command to all of your subordinates?"

Though angered by her refusal to accept his request to let him handle it so that he truly could conceal what GriRea expected to find, Satanick didn't express his displeasure. He did frown while she was speaking, yet had not thought anything of her threat, nor why she wanted to hear from Macarona in particular. The Gentleman Devil merely assumed the Queen only mentioned her name because he believed she referred to the audio recording and how the angel's name was mentioned on it. However, he also knew she must've figured out she was the angelic guard he was speaking of prior to his report taking the turn it did. He only required some time to prepare for accommodating her, so Satanick knew he could possibly request enough time to cover anything up before she took over. "Certainly, as you command, Your Majesty. I understand you fully," he smiled and bowed his head to concede. "If I may, might I ask for some time so that I may have everything in order for either your arrival in Zlienderstrom, or bringing what's necessary to your palace? Everything would have to be fully prepared to meet your expectations, and thus I believe it'd be best—"

"Denied," Her Majesty outright rejected his request without letting him finish making it. "I am demanding for either your confirmation as to the charges against you now—to save time on the investigation by having you turn over everything immediately with no trouble—or for the trial to commence as per court regulations so you may prepare a defense in your name against the charges. Of course, I'm already well aware you'll choose the latter to make your case. Henceforth I shall be calling my first witness in but a matter of several hours and will contact the other parties involved."

"Of course, Your Highness," the vassal replied and stepped back to bow out of respect for her. Externally he portrayed himself as rather calm and collected, but inside he was fuming and outraged at her conduct towards him. Though he knew she was correct in her approach towards the case, Satanick also knew her investigation was actually problematic for him for she could somehow discover he was still working with the Business Devil. Still, he maintained hope that all would work out well for him because he had already begun processing ways of how to make it turn out perfect in his favor even way before he put his plan of declaring war on the Gray Garden into motion. That world was merely a subject that could've been replaced by other worlds, heavens, and even underworlds; thus it didn't matter who was on the receiving end of his plots so long as he could get away with it. "I shall be preparing my case straight away."

"Good, but first you shall deliver Macarona to me. I'll hear from her first. It'll be nice to see her again."

"But of course, Your—" Satanick initially seemed ready to comply until his eyes widened when he opened them upon hearing her remark. He hadn't known she'd have chosen Macarona as her first witness, but was thankful for having several hours to 'prepare' the young angel for GriRea—by murdering her first. Yet the biggest surprise to him wasn't the Queen's decision to make Macarona her first witness, but rather that last part of the statement she made.

" _It'll be nice to see her again."_

That was the largest shock that, for once, actually caught him off guard.

" _Again."_

At once he discovered precisely one other reason why GriRea chose Macarona: _she met the angel before._

"Is there a problem with my order, Satanick?" the Queen demanded a reply from him. "Do you take issue with my decision to speak with Macarona first? If so, then allow me to make it clear for you: if Macarona does not arrive here at my palace in one piece _later today_ , alive and unscathed, I shall have your head on a pike, both figuratively and literally. As you've stated, your troops are itching for a fight as exercise to hone their skills by training to get experience in the war. I'm not about to quell their need for opponents if I'm to be theirs and yours as well now that you're all ready for a fight."

…

His head on a pike…That would've been the end of him. It hadn't even been minutes since he left Snowflake Keep via warping back to Nightrise Castle and already he was feeling the cold, bony fingers of death creeping towards him. In his mind he imagined himself in the grave, his head decapitated, separated from his shoulders and inserted on a pike firmly impaling it. Usually such victims would've had expressions of terror or stupidity even written across their faces; not him, for he would be slain with dignity as the Gentleman Devil. Satanick could feel their wriggling all over his head as they feasted upon the severed head that belonged to him, the maggots enjoying the meal they developed upon while his head continued to rot for all of eternity. Such a vivid vision of one's death normally imprinted horror on the beholders who thought of their own deaths and did everything they could to stop it during their span of living their lives normally. They'd try to accomplish as much as they could before death came knocking on their doors, an image of a figure who'd appear similar to Shikabone approaching at either a fast or slow pace. The sad reality was that death could arrive at any time and couldn't be prevented unless somebody happened to discover a means of achieving immortality. Satanick unfortunately didn't possess the means, nor did he know where to look. He wasn't terrified of death's advent, though rather enraged it was coming so soon just when his plans were soon blossoming into fruition. It infuriated him, leaving the Gentleman Devil with a burning desire to take revenge against GriRea for having issued that damn threat.

He planned on betraying her with Warwick anyway, but another matter came first and foremost, however…

Standing behind him was Anten and his council—well, most of them with the exception of Murdock who wasn't present for whatever reason. The wolf demon had to have heard the summons Satanick sent out the moment he returned from delivering his quick report to the Queen. Still, it didn't matter too much whether his Steward was there or not. The Gentleman Devil's cold, callous tone over the phone to have them arrive in his office immediately was enough for them to know something was gravely wrong. Not everyone could see his facial expression, yet they knew their superior was livid and with good reason since they figured the meeting with Her Majesty had gone south. Perhaps that had been why Murdock hadn't shown; he must've tucked his tail between his legs and fled the moment he heard the Queen summoned her vassal. Satanick could've sent Anten after him, but sought to keep the assassin reserved instead.

Nobody said anything for several minutes, appearing tense and on edge. Only Yagi and Storm maintained their rather calm demeanor, patiently waiting like everybody else present for orders on how to mend their dire predicament. Ludwig and Anten were both tense, the former expressing tense, nervous caution at the thought of their plans for the upcoming war failing. When nobody spoke after what felt like an eternity of dreadful silence full of nothing but anger, only Anten was the one who figured somebody had to shatter the unnervingly quiet tension. "S-so…" he murmured, hesitating somewhat to continue out of respect for his boss and fear for enraging his superior further. "How did the meeting with Her Majesty go?" That very question usually garnered responses about how well interacting with other individuals went even if the subject wasn't a person. It could've been an event that stirred up thoughts and reactions to whatever it was. As the inquiry fit both parameters, the assassin knew he'd get a response—if not one he expected.

Satanick tensed up, his body trembling in anger he attempted to manage calmly so he could think clearly. His struggle was a tough one considering what he had heard from GriRea and what she demanded he do by way of a death threat intending to subdue him. Sadly for the Gentleman Devil, it worked perfectly in her favor as her suspicions about him seemed to have been proven true somewhat as Her Highness was leaning towards opposing him. With a loud cry of intense, wrathful rage, he whirled around and whipped his hands across the desk to knock everything onto the floor. Behavior of that sort was childish as tantrums were conduct Satanick would've never displayed, yet his anger was still boiling over and he no longer gave a damn about how he expressed himself anymore. To further emphasize how mad he'd become, he took one side of the desk and with enough strength threw it onto its surface, the legs pointed up with a pair having penetrated the glass of his display case for oriental blades to shatter it. Though the shelves still stood, a sword toppled from one onto the floor before the enraged Devil snatched it up immediately to point it at his subordinates. "How?!" he demanded in anger, shaking the weapon at them without unsheathing it. "How does the damned Queen know that wretched angel?! What have you idiots been doing to ensure that blasted girl didn't oppose us?! Did you do anything— _ANYTHING_ —at all to try and kill that little bitch so we wouldn't be in this bloody mess right about now?!"

"S-sir, I believe it'd be best if you'd calm yourself and tell us—" the Court Mage tried to speak, but couldn't.

"Calm down?!" his superior barked at him, throwing the blade down in rage and storming over to the window. "You expect me to calm myself after I've been threated to be sacked from my position by way of death?! The Queen herself stated my head would be on a damn pike she would probably display outside her goddamn palace for all the worlds to know we screwed ourselves over big time! How could we have not ever seen this coming at all?! _HOW?!_ "

"W-with all due respect, s-sir—" Anten attempted to soothe his boss' nerves, but was interrupted by him too.

"Shove that damn respect up your ass, Anten! We've got bigger problems on our hands because the Queen knows Macarona! Did you hear me?! _QUEEN GRIREA PERSONALLY KNOWS MACARONA!_ I heard her say that myself when she delivered that threat to me, demanding the blasted angel be unharmed and brought before her at once within just a few hours! We don't have time to be showing respect, Anten! We only have several hours of life left!"

"In the event of such a catastrophic apocalypse such as that," Yagi spoke up to cheer the Gentleman Devil up somewhat at least, "I have authorized the command to have all physical evidence destroyed and everyone useless to our cause assassinated by Storm's spy network to purge ourselves of anything and anyone who could potentially turn over whatever would prove we're colluding with the Business Devil. Storm and I have also constructed a team to murder Macarona and Medouco, plus we've prepared one for Ludwig to find Cosmea as well and send her to the grave too."

"There, at least somebody's doing something right!" Satanick spat and stormed over to a counter for some wine. Pouring a glass to try calming himself while quenching the thirst that came about by his screaming rage, he downed a glass to hydrate his throat before pouring another immediately after. Averting his attention back to the group, he spilled some of that wine by accident onto the carpet when he whirled towards them dramatically. "I want her dead…that damned angel, Macarona, set the gears of opposition against us by revealing everything to Her Majesty's Steward. It's why the royal court now has an audio log with the voices of all those wretched girls on it, plus Maekami's to boot." He didn't need to emphasize that fact by fudging it further; the mention of Maekami's name alone was enough to show Satanick was concerned because it was a known fact he was actually much weaker than the demonic bar owner. "I don't give two shits from a rat's ass anymore about Macarona being Rigatona's reincarnated descendant. I want her dead…" His subordinates would've told him such a perspective was risky, but he spoke again. "And where the hell's Murdock?!"

"Gone," Yagi answered him with but a single word before elaborating on it. "He bolted as soon as he heard you've been summoned by the Queen, and he's taken significant funds with him as well. Those finances would have been beneficial to us as part of the war effort besides his administration over the economic transport of said finances. Although we've taken a huge economic hit because of his cowardice, our military is still strong enough to seize victory." His brief explanation of Murdock's craven betrayal and theft confirmed Satanick's suspicions of the Steward's absence. Nevertheless it also indicated there was a silver lining they could've taken advantage of provided they acted at once.

"Good, so long as all of the legions are in place, we'll achieve our goal of defeating the Gray Garden," Satanick stated and began to alter those plans with critical changes. "However, we can no longer remain in this underworld any longer. With Macarona dead, the Queen will have outlawed us as traitors when that damn angel's not brought to her in time. We'll be moving into the Gray Garden for a different purpose once we subdue its military and population while murdering its leaders. That world shall become our safe haven for some time, and we'll hold its citizens hostage for our sakes to prevent the other underworlds and even the heavens from acting against us. They'll not want to fight back if we've got hostages as live shields we'll take with us to the Black Market World as products for the black market that can eventually be sold in secret for whatever purpose suits the buyers. Our enemies would not want to be held accountable for a mass genocide that'll exterminate the entire population of the Gray Garden, leaving no survivors in that world at all."

"And if they take the risk, then what?" Ludwig asked, pondering on the consequences of that.

"Like I said, we murder every single individual living in the Gray Garden, leaving no stone unturned," the Gentleman Devil replied, calming down a bit and no longer needing to raise his voice anymore. "But in that case, we'll need to come up with a backup plan if the heavens and other hells are willing to sacrifice a single world to stop us." As Satanick finished his second glass of wine, his eyes fell upon the lone assassin standing within the room. "Anten."

"Yes, sir?" said assassin responded as his superior approached him to give an important order.

"I want you to head the squad that shall be killing off Macarona and Medouco. Failure is not an option for you this time, do you understand?" he commanded the Pinky Finger in a cold tone of voice. "Fail, and I will end you."

Anten shuddered, concerned of the chances he'd truly fail to fulfill that order. Still, he had to accept. "Yes, sir."

Their plans and their lives depended entirely on success. Failure wasn't an option; they couldn't cut any losses.


	26. Chapter Twenty-Six: Hunted

It was the smell of fresh meat that made the Gorgon's eyes water a bit at the thought of an animal paying such a hefty pay—its life—for the cost of becoming a meal. The poor animal had no choice, no say in the matter since it was killed either way if not by natural causes as Medouco hoped. That was why Macarona had chosen to prepare a different meal for their dinner, having observed the maid's reaction to meaty products served as food over the past several days. Each day they had different meals as the two either went out or stayed in Nightrise Castle for a bit when a need for traveling into Zlienderstrom at the moment wasn't necessary. For Medouco it was usually pasta or a kind of cuisine that didn't include any sort of meat in its preparation whereas the angel's tastes covered a broader spectrum. Although Macarona initially wondered why the maid abstained from meat, she eventually figured out the Gorgon was actually a vegan—hence her preference for non-meat food. Medouco never said it out of shyness, but Macarona didn't ask out of respect for the demonic maid she considered a friend—one of her few friends throughout the Devil's Kingdom.

As she was preparing dinner, the young angel thought back on the past several days and what they'd done together. In Zlienderstrom they'd gone around the different districts, looking at all the items in shops and interacting with others whenever she could. The angelic girl hadn't been able to buy much of anything since Medouco's budget was rather short as the Gorgon didn't carry much cash on hand because she wasn't supposed to. Just enough for a meal or two out sufficed, and it was the only amount her superiors allowed her to take unless they gave her more for purchasing only specific goods and services in question which the maid couldn't really benefit from for it had to be work-related. That didn't bother Macarona at all and she was very understanding by simply accepting the fact she was only allowed to browse inventories. Aside from that was her status as a prisoner in this underworld which also inhibited her from even acquiring anything from others, plus doing so anyway through others like Medouco who paid for her would've been suspicious. Other demons would've thought they were collaborating together for some nefarious scheme like theft of some high profile targets, acts a Thieves' Guild would've partaken in, or perhaps they were looking to betray Satanick. Granted, Macarona was trying to do all she could to better understand this civilization in order to help stop him, though referring to her actions as betrayal wasn't the proper usage of the term since she didn't work for the Gentleman Devil. Medouco did, however, and Macarona only imagined how stressful and painful the pressure of that label was on her.

Throughout their time spent together, she'd become familiar with how fragile the poor Gorgon was. How Medouco reacted to certain situations and phrases was enough for Macarona at first to see how the maid was like her once. Further incidents simply reinforced the idea. It was like looking in a mirror of herself, except Macarona saw somebody different in its reflection: Medouco. While Medouco wasn't like her all that much, the shyness and timidity the demon displayed were symbolic reminders of the young angel's past behavior which was very much alike. Up until Emalf had nearly killed Froze by throwing her off a cliff while Yosafire leapt to save her friend, Macarona had been like Medouco. That incident actually changed Macarona's life for the better that day for it impacted her when she felt so helpless at the sight of her friends possibly getting killed by somebody who wanted them dead because he was an enemy. Technically Emalf liked Yosafire and hoped she'd have become his girlfriend, but she rejected him since he was a loser and an enemy of their world. Even when the Flame Underworld sided with hers in the War of Three Suns—the War of Misguided Beliefs—it was solely for the sake of fighting a common foe along the lines of an enemy of one's enemy was a friend. Even so, Ivlis and his underworld didn't become permanent allies at the end due to their previous invasion of the Gray Garden before which was fine as both parties knew interacting after fighting together in a war wasn't enough.

In her mind Macarona couldn't help but think about how she and Medouco were in the same situation. This time it was her who'd probably get harmed somehow. If Medouco was unscathed, she might've felt the same as her angelic companion had, being weighed down by the same feelings of uselessness. Whether or not the Gorgon could actually do something about it by trying to become brave was a decision only Medouco could make. Macarona didn't want to force her, yet knew the transpiring of certain events would've had a detrimental impact on her friend since a burden of heavy weight in the form of something terrible was going to crush her. She felt the same way before and managed to survive and improve, choosing to not only shoulder said burden by herself and with friends if they were around, but also drop some of the unnecessary dead weight—her timidity and shyness—that kept holding her back. Macarona never wanted to carry that dead weight anymore, but knew she couldn't force others to drop it when they needed to make that choice for themselves. Even if they did have friends who'd aid them, the final decision was theirs.

Macarona was one such friend of Medouco's and she knew the Gorgon had others too. Her family, if they supported her, comprised some because of the familial connections. Glasses, Kiku, and Sullivan too were others she could've relied on. The same went for Shikabone, Hersilia, and Albino. Even Zlienderstrom's Thieves' Guild would've offered a helping hand so long as she could provide something in return. Maybe Reina, Bis, Maekami, and Chlomaki too could've been considered acquaintances of sorts. So could've Jork and Chikemuri. Perhaps Lil, if the demonic lady knew her, would've been considered a good friend like Macarona. Medouco might not have really known all of them personally, though they were nice to her and didn't try to harm her in any way. Kurotsuno, Hanten, plus Met, likely wouldn't have been such good people to the Gorgon—Kurotsuno might've felt indifferent about the demonic maid, though the other girls would've most likely tried to kill her. Although Medouco could've counted a lot of people as her friends and acquaintances, there were still some who wouldn't have given a damn about her like Hanten and Met. Satanick was definitely one as was the rest of his council and subordinates who served him, and they posed threats.

While Medouco would've taken them all into account when making her decision, it was still hers to make. Despite the fact it could've affected them and what they thought about her even if they understood her and accepted whatever outcome emerged, only Medouco could choose for herself. Nobody else, even if they were considered, could.

Now pondering on those other individuals in question, as a matter of fact, Macarona thought back on time she and Medouco spent interacting with them over the course of these past several days. Twice they dined with Kiku and Glasses together while having more discussions about life in the Devil's Kingdom and the nature of domestic as well as foreign affairs with other civilizations. A couple times they hung out with Hersilia and Albino, going about town and checking out more of the districts in detail when the other girls were free and had time available. Sullivan and Shikabone were on duty for the most part except for a few conversations here and there. With regards to the former, however, he remained behind at Moonshadow Manor when Cosmea attacked to help keep the homestead stable and protected. They've not been back there since, avoiding the trouble going on in the Magnus District due to the Cherub angel's assault; plus they haven't even seen Cosmea ever since Chlomaki warped to her manor somewhere else in the region where they two of them remained without showing up in society. This was because Chlomaki suggested she keep the Cherub angel hidden from Satanick, but maybe it was also because she still wanted an angelic familiar. Macarona and Medouco hadn't seen Jork all that much even if they spoke to Chikemuri a couple times briefly, yet the demonic lad explained Yagi began keeping Jork at home whenever they weren't at school, strictly demanding the young goat demon stay there instead of going out to do something stupid and timewasting. Maekami was busy with work in his bar and serving customers there, yet he managed to speak to them briefly only during the one time they'd gone back after their two previous visits. One place Macarona and Medouco couldn't return to was the Underground Railroad District because they'd have become very suspicious in the authorities' eyes unless the Thieves' Guild was around to fool them with illusions to protect the girls.

All in all these past several days had been pretty normal in light of the fact a war was being fought. Macarona didn't know if the actual combat had already begun yet, yet knew it was still approaching and fast. If she couldn't do something to stop the Gentleman Devil, her world would've had to fight off another enemy underworld without her. Chances of the Gray Garden's loss could've gone either way as it was a fifty-fifty chance of winning or losing. Still, Satanick could've acted to improve the odds in his favor so probability would've secured his victory. Nevertheless, the Gray Garden was also capable of increasing its odds too since it had both Kcalb, Etihw, and a number of other great combatants who fought for the purpose of protecting their world and their people to preserve peace for everybody. Nothing much might've happened so far and Macarona, despite being an angel, somehow fit right into Zlienderstrom—at the very least to some extent since she didn't know too many of the inhabitants. Other demons didn't pay too much attention to her, preferring to not give two shits about the angelic girl in their midst since she meant nothing to them. Several even tried to pick fights, and Roc participated in one of them for revenge against her—sadly for him, he failed again by losing a second time. Eventually word around town spread and she became a bit known as something of a temporary resident angel. Nobody cared who she was, really, so Macarona was essentially an overlooked footnote to them. That was fine by her since it'd enable her and Medouco to move a little more freely in Zlienderstrom without too much unwanted attention on their activities. However, to avoid inconvenient fights she spent some time in the castle.

"Here, Medouco, what do you think of this?" the young angel asked, inquiring for an opinion about the ziti.

Accepting the plastic spoon held out for her, the Gorgon took it to sample the pasta and smiled to show her approval once she finished chewing and swallowing the ziti mixed with berries. "It tastes good, Macarona," she stated, replying to the question while throwing the plastic utensil out now that its use was fulfilled. Besides that, dinner was essentially ready to be served. "You're such a natural in the kitchen more than I ever am. I may not be able to produce something as normal or extravagant as something special, but at least I can prepare a little something simple with ease."

"Well, cooking's not exactly a difficult craft to get used to with time," Macarona commented with a smile and pulled a couple plates out from the cabinet above her, the buttons of her black blazer shining somewhat as they reflected light from the lamps off the cabinet knobs. "If you put enough effort in, you can bake some decent dishes and even something more significant from time to time. Other than that it takes practice to get some dishes edible. I'd hate to see how shoddy the taste is if it gets undercooked or overcooked by accident. If that's the case, I'd need to get better."

"At least it sounds easier than a lot of other stuff," the demonic maid murmured, carrying the plate Macarona handed her to the table after the angel served them both up a good portion of the ziti and berries they'd be having.

"Perhaps, though one's own taste buds would be another factor to consider," the angel responded, casting a glance out the window to see the thick fog blanketing Zlienderstrom today. Unable to see much of the castle town from this distance with it covering everything and the inhabitants, Macarona couldn't tell what was going on. An earlier comment Medouco made about Satanick and Storm being experts of aeromancy came to mind and she supposed one or both of those men could've had a hand in this. She certainly didn't deny the possibility of it being a natural fog, yet a chance of it being artificially produced was plausible also due to that remark. The young angel wasn't sure why a fog blanketing the castle town today was necessary, though figured the motivation behind it if they were responsible was surreptitious. In any event a clandestine purpose couldn't be proven without concrete evidence despite a bad feeling Macarona got from the fog's presence. Her belief the Gentleman Devil had something to do with it was nothing more than that so far, yet she couldn't help but suspect he wanted to cover something up, hence the fog to protect whatever sneaky activity Satanick was probably enacting. After learning about the secret guards he had watching her while she traveled around Zlienderstrom and the fight with Cosmea and subsequent rescue by Chlomaki, Macarona knew the Gentleman Devil wanted to kill her as Chlomaki and Maekami revealed. Maybe it had something to do with that.

"Yes, meat and spicy food doesn't agree with them or my stomach…" Medouco whimpered, the thought of such food entering her mouth and stomach constructing a foul taste in her mouth. Though but a simple reaction even though she hadn't eaten anything of the sort, apparently her mind convinced her to respond that way when mentioning those particular products. Seeing said angel looking at the window as they were sitting down, the Gorgon turned her head to gaze at the fog too since she believed it reminded Macarona of the remark she made. The maid hadn't meant to ruin their meal with a statement like that because it fueled her friend's mind with a suspicion that was already harbored. It still breathed, alive within the other girl's mind due to everything Satanick put her through in trying to eliminate her. She knew Macarona only wanted to help her home world in light of her vulnerability in this underworld, comprehending how severe the war against the Gray Garden would be. As natural it was to understand that, Medouco tipped her head down shamefully because she felt that even though she understood it, she was unable to assist because of her obligations. "It's this war you're thinking of, isn't it Macarona?" she asked somberly as they began to eat. "You must really fear it."

Her head perking up at the mention of the war and how she felt about it, Macarona's eyes widened slightly despite the fact she wasn't surprised. She knew Medouco could tell how she was feeling for she had told the Gorgon everything herself. Macarona also knew she had thus placed the maid in a terrible predicament by doing so because Medouco had to now try to determine what the best course of action was and the consequences of choosing. "What else can I feel, Medouco?" she inquired without even a touch of sharpness. Her tone was soft, but the phrasing of her words was blunt, yet true. "It's not exactly a situation that'll end peacefully. Battles will be fought, lives will be lost…For what purpose exactly is this war being fought for? My world's fighting to preserve its peaceful harmony, though the Devil's Kingdom only cares more about resources and territory it can acquire and use as the demons here please. That's not to say all of the demons living in this underworld want it after what I've seen and experienced by talking with some of them while touring Zlienderstrom. I know this particular place is but a sample size of the whole underworld in that respect; however, what if I'm wrong and it doesn't apply to the entire Devil's Kingdom? Unfortunately, it's applicable to your Devil and the government he controls; those whom seek to curry favor with him would also stay in his good graces."

Medouco sighed, knowing they'd been over this several times before. The fact she expressed sympathy for a world her underworld was supposed to be enemies with didn't exactly help her own predicament. In addition was a feeling of dread the demonic maid couldn't dispel at the thought of being considered a traitor. The Gentleman Devil attempted to have her killed as well all so he could frame somebody from the Corporate Heaven and claim that heaven was trying to cause friction too. She was a political tool that could've been discarded any time Satanick wished to dispose of her, so trying to paint her as treasonous simply because she sympathized with Macarona and gradually became the angel's friend was enough to give Satanick that sort of justification. "I-I'm s-sorry, Macarona," she apologized shyly, fearing for both her life and Macarona's while believing she was only making things worse. "I-I didn't mean to say that."

Macarona smiled softly, seeking to cheer the maid up. "It's totally fine, Medouco. I understand how you feel too," she said, fully aware of the tense strain their bond was putting on the Gorgon because she told her everything.

Raising her head ever so slightly, the Gorgon stared at the angel sadly as she watched Macarona shut her eyes and smile. Although she didn't want to say anything further at the risk of upsetting her, Medouco still had trouble with believing she really was being considered a friend. Macarona was one of the nicest girls she met and also one of the bravest too. Those qualities were not something she hardly ever encountered in the Devil's Kingdom since other demons weren't too considerate of her and hardly interacted with her. Only few ever did, but now that she met Macarona the demonic maid was receiving more attention which, in spite of making her feel uncomfortable due to her shyness and timidity, was actually a good thing too despite the glaring flaws of becoming a target for assassination. Nevertheless, Medouco felt she couldn't really reconcile that. Her service to Satanick and friendship to Macarona were two different things that conflicted with one another, and she couldn't help but feel she was letting both of them down by being so incompetent at trying to please both of them. "I-I d-don't know, Macarona…I-I'm still Mr. Satanick's maid even if I'm also your friend. W-well, as far as you're concerned, b-but I-I don't think I-I'm really all that worthy of being a friend."

The smile never left Macarona's face, becoming warmer and gentler towards the maid. "Sure you are. There aren't many demons in this underworld I'd really call friends because I don't know them all that well, but I'm grateful some like yourself have offered me assistance to some extent in each of their individual cases. I mean, the ones I can consider friends are those who've I've met so far and was able to bond with when we met—you included, Medouco."

Medouco sniffed, a few tears materializing in her eyes at the thought of being considered so highly despite having done very little on her own end. All she'd done was be a personal warden on Satanick's orders as requested by Macarona. As such she was expected to keep the angelic prisoner out of trouble and make sure she wouldn't oppose Satanick in any way. However, she was also supposed to keep the angel safe too for the sake of ensuring international regulations regarding otherworldly prisoners were upheld. Besides that was the fact Macarona thought so highly of her and considered her a friend. The maid knew she hadn't been doing so well in either respect, being more of a guide than a warden and friend. And yet in spite of all that, in light of the fact she was still working for the Gentleman Devil and performed this duty on his behalf, Macarona chose her as the warden and befriended her. Macarona believed in her, though Medouco couldn't help but feel she was letting her down by being a burden. "B-but why me, Macarona?" she asked, looking up at the angel sitting across from her at the table. "I-I know you say I-I'm your friend, b-but why me?" She'd known they'd been over that before too, aware of Macarona's reasoning for picking her, yet there had to be more the angel wasn't telling her. The way Medouco was fretting over this informed the angel she'd have to explain that.

Gazing at the maid for a few moments before shutting her eyes, Macarona pondered how best to phrase the notion bothering her demonic friend. Putting a bent finger to her chin, she knew Medouco was obviously suspecting something else, another reason for having chosen her as the personal warden. She had already told her everything, yet came up with the very parallel that had been on her mind for a few moments minutes ago. "I suppose…" she began, choosing her words carefully so as not to upset Medouco further. "It would be because you remind me of myself, Medouco—specifically what I was like a while back. Back when Ivlis and his demons invaded my world, I was also pretty scared like you are now, Medouco. What was happening then was so much to comprehend, to understand. The difficulty of trying to adapt to sudden circumstances like that is a lot for people to bear, especially when tensions are building up to it. Everybody's worried, a lot of people are afraid of something like that happening. I was and tried my best even though I was scared, yet much of the time of I was usually crying about the bad things happening and being so useless at attempting to make everything better. It wasn't until one of Ivlis' stronger demons nearly killed my friends before my eyes that my resolve strengthened greatly so that I was able to find my courage and help stop the invasion."

"Macarona…" the demonic maid murmured softly, beginning to wonder if she was chosen out of pity than complete trust and friendship. Although she could understand how the angel once felt, the angelic girl's words were feeling like deep cuts that harmed the Gorgon's self-esteem in addition to the blows she felt with her before when they were meeting with Zlienderstrom's Thieves' Guild and fighting Cosmea. Such an explanation was honest, yet it hurt because of the implications going both ways. Macarona may have felt sorry for Medouco and truly wished to become friends with her, yet that didn't mean she wasn't also trying to mold the maid to be like her. Not forcefully, anyway, though that's what it felt like to Medouco even though Macarona didn't appear to be actively trying to do that at all. Perhaps the young angel didn't realize it, not thinking that her actions and beliefs would've indirectly molded the maid.

However, the angel across from her seemed to possess a comprehension of how to read what Medouco was feeling based on the facial expression spread across the Gorgon's face. The demonic maid appeared to be unconvinced, believing she was being pitied and accepted for that motivation alone. Either that or Macarona said such things to try making the poor maid feel useless by providing her false encouragement. To the angel that did not make any sense as there was no malice whatsoever driving her to accept Medouco and befriend her. She did indeed feel sorry for her, however, and that was why she wanted to help her. Maybe her actions hadn't really been too helpful to Medouco; considering the circumstances, that wasn't really her fault despite Macarona still taking responsibility for that. That was due to Satanick hashing the situation into a state of mistrust towards her and the Gray Garden. Cosmea was affected as well because of how she was used by the Gentleman Devil. So was Medouco to further assist in his plans for conflict. Satanick was to blame for all of that, forcing those who would've been his pawns—whether in support of, or against him—to dance like puppets to fulfill the agendas he surreptitiously constructed for clandestine purposes. Macarona wondered if the Gentleman Devil found any amusement in observing them flail about while he pulled their strings to make them act however he wished, supposing it would've been just the activity he'd partake in and enjoy. "True, I'll concede I do feel sorry for you, Medouco," she said honestly to cheer the demonic maid up. "However, I shall not ever force you to do something against your will. It's unfortunate considering the circumstances I must do anything I can to survive in this underworld while trying to help my world from here as best I can. Still, as much as I don't want to make you do anything by force and would want to keep you out of it for your protection, Medouco, I'm still quite grateful."

The Gorgon blinked in surprise, confused as to how the angel was thankful. "Y-you are?" she asked shyly.

Macarona nodded. "Yep! You've stayed by my side throughout this whole ordeal so far while I'm staying in your hell. You're obviously doing an excellent job as my personal warden by doing precisely what I expect of you as you're one of my most reliable allies and friends in the Devil's Kingdom, Medouco. You may think you're also trying to please Mr. Satanick, but from what we've heard the other day from Chlomaki about how you were a target too, I'm guessing he doesn't care at all about you. He likely knows how to cut his losses and decided disposing of you, a great healer in his service, would've benefitted his causes more than your healing ever would've. Think about it, Medouco: would trying to please somebody who really wants you dead for a greater purpose that won't even benefit you help you?" Macarona knew she was feeding doubt into the maid, but these seeds were already planted; the young angel just needed them to sprout by watering them with sunlight. "I understand you're trying to please him and I know I truly am using persuasion to make my case to you, but it's the truth, Medouco. Of both sides, I'm the only one who has shown great concern for you whereas the Gentleman Devil hasn't. He's killed one of his own assassins and sent that guy's lover to murder us all so he could prevent me from returning home while framing Cosmea to try painting the Corporate Heaven as quite antagonistic as well. Do you believe he would not do the same to you? He has already proven otherwise."

Tipping her head down, Medouco did her best to try and comprehend Macarona's logic and reasoning. The young angel certainly did care for her and was apologetic about getting her involved, plus she told the truth as well. Satanick clearly didn't as evident in the fact he would harm her whenever she was out of line or made any mistakes; hardly any doubt lingered in the maid's mind that she was nothing more than a tool to him like most others were too. Satanick's attempt to have her murdered to try and paint Cosmea as an assassin from the Corporate Heaven solidified Macarona's stance further than his ever would've been. Macarona acknowledged everything she said and gave logic which drove her reasoning, telling her everything; by contrast, Satanick was a manipulative conman for a Devil who utilized any means necessary to lie and cheat his way to success. To him, the ends justified the means; it was greed, a powerful lust for power in which he'd accomplish his victories and say he was right to do as he pleased if something beneficial to him was achieved. Medouco understood that all too well, yet that didn't change how scared she was of Satanick. "I-I don't know, Macarona. I-I'm still s-so unsure. He's my boss, I-I can't just say no to him and fight him."

"Even if he wanted to dispose of you, Medouco? Even though he actually tried to do that already?"

The demonic maid shuddered at that thought, one that had already been posed and was looming over her. Medouco knew very well by now that she was expendable to the Gentleman Devil, aware he could do as he pleased when getting rid of her by any means necessary. Satanick wanted her gone to serve an agenda that would've definitely served a future war effort against the Corporate Heaven. To that end Medouco was nothing more than a tool he'd break and discard for the sake of seeking that end and making it happen too. The Gorgon knew all this now, yet she hemmed and hawed constantly over it because the predicament was still so difficult. She was between a rock and a hard place, and both sides were applying more force than ever before against her than might've been necessary. At the very least, however, one of those sides was actually trying to be helpful and cared about her whereas the other was ramming into her constantly to try and actually harm her. Perhaps that was the rock being played by Satanick with the hard place being Macarona; the young angel certainly didn't have to do much in that role, but as the rock she attempted to break Medouco out of her role as Satanick's maid. In that case, the Gentleman Devil was the hard place. Nonetheless, the angelic girl wasn't smashing the rock into Medouco as painfully as Satanick would've because all Macarona wanted to do was help her by showing the Gorgon the truth and helping her to understand and accept it while protecting her too. Other circumstances helped generate this conception, but it was still so confusing all the same because it was so difficult.

"I do not blame you for trying to impress him because you're scared of him, Medouco," Macarona went on before the demonic maid could answer her inquiry. "Nor do I fault you for having trouble making a decision either. Problems that arose to try preventing me from acting against the Gentleman Devil have engulfed you too, but that hasn't been my intention. I didn't want to involve you from the start, Medouco, because I knew it was risky for you. Even so, finding somebody else, another demon who could've been restrictive towards me and could've killed me under the Gentleman Devil's orders, wouldn't have enabled me to get this far. Had it been another demon, I might've died and chances of my survival even if I hadn't could've decreased. I feel safe around you, Medouco, and I want you to feel the same in my company under my protection. With you by my side, I am able to act as I've done so far and you can feel secure knowing I'll not do anything on purpose to try and negatively impact or harm you in any way. We're a team."

"A-a t-team…?" Medouco again blinked in surprise, shocked to hear Macarona thought so highly of her.

Again, Macarona nodded. "Of course, Medouco. You're my personal warden and I'm your bodyguard."

Medouco blinked in surprise, confused as to how she should've comprehended that. "M-my…bodyguard?"

Once more Macarona nodded to confirm the statement now that she revealed the tables were turned, but in a manner made comfortable for the Gorgon so Medouco wouldn't have had to feel like a prisoner. The feeling was odd, actually—the one who needed a personal warden to observe and protect her from acting against Satanick was in fact protecting the personal warden. The demonic maid had known it all along, actually, though hadn't considered it yet. Perhaps everything that happened to them so far caused her to forget this matter which could've explained why the Gorgon hadn't given the notion much thought until now. And yet Macarona kept her safe even when Medouco was supposed to be the one keeping Macarona safe. How ironic it was for the prisoner to have become a personal warden protecting one of her captors, though the angel didn't see it that way in Medouco's case and gladly fulfilled the role. Nonetheless it was something of a sweet irony for it was done out of friendship. "That's right, Medouco, you're not just my personal warden—you're my friend and that is why I shall protect you while you be my guide in this underworld."

"B-b-but…" the demonic maid protested, unsure of how to deal with this. Hearing their roles were kind of reversed from that perspective made her feel uncomfortable and incompetent. She was the personal warden, not the angelic girl in her charge. It wasn't supposed to be the other way around. Nevertheless, as much as Medouco sought to perform her responsibilities as she was expected to, she had to understand that where Macarona was coming from with this concept was quite true. Over time she'd seen and experienced the same things her angelic companion did as well as communicated with individuals Macarona spoke to too. Everything the angel did was setting both of them up against Satanick, yet the Gentleman Devil had everything planned right from the start and purposely threw the poor Gorgon directly into harm's way. Whatever his reasoning for choosing her of all demons was, the fact remained that Satanick required the sacrifices of some demons under his command at Cosmea's hands all so he could portray the Corporate Heaven as antagonistic. That obviously included a warden or two guarding Macarona to prevent her from acting while becoming sacrifices alongside her murder to pit the Gray Garden and Corporate Heaven against one another. Yet if Cosmea was the one who got killed, the possibility for that result happening was still valid and could've become true. Medouco knew all of this now that she became involved against her own will, though while Satanick and Macarona utilized her for their own ends, at least Macarona was very honest with her and did her best to protect the Gorgon. "I-I don't know, Macarona…all I-I can do is heal…T-that's all I-I've done besides being your personal warden. I-I—"

"You've done splendid, better than I could possibly imagine, Medouco," the young angel interrupted her to prevent the maid from continuing with her unsure insecurities, but in a polite tone of voice to not make her feel bad. "I wouldn't be here and have gotten this far without you, Medouco. Had I been assigned a different warden, I'd likely become better known as a threat to the Gentleman Devil on his own turf. Of course, he already knows I am which is precisely why he'd like to get rid of me as he does know I am Rigatona's reincarnated descendant. However, what we have been doing isn't known to him, and that's because you've not told him anything yet. Had you done so, what I've said just now would legitimize the need for me to die so that he could stop me from getting in his way by unveiling everything he's worked so hard to accomplish by corrupting everything. It's true the others we met haven't spoken up either, and that does indeed include: Mr. Maekami, Mr. Sullivan, Glasses, Kiku, and Chlomaki. I'm grateful to their aid too, but you've stayed by my side this entire time, Medouco, and you've remained faithful to me just as I've placed both my life and faith in you. Everybody else could've reported me already which was a risk I acknowledged, but took anyway; not taking it would've meant I wouldn't know what I understand now, and I wouldn't have made allies and friends out of them either. Without them too, I'd not be here now; however, you are my greatest asset, Medouco."

Her greatest asset…How could've such a compliment of high regard felt so much like an insult? Although the demonic maid was thankful Macarona thought so highly of her, the fact she was considered an asset made Medouco believe she was being used. The promise of friendship, though feeling good, must've been just that: a promise, albeit made so the Gorgon could feel comfortable. Despite the fact being just an asset didn't make her feel like a friend, the demonic maid somehow felt…partly happy by the way Macarona said it. It was because it was indeed a compliment showing she was held in high regard. Being an asset and being a friend might've been two different things; still, it was definitely nice to be appreciated for what she'd been doing by somebody else who thought so highly of her whether they'd been enemies or not—or were supposed to for that matter. Medouco certainly appreciated it despite being so unsure about whether they were friends or not, and it probably would've been rude to deny it. "U-um, t-thank you, Macarona," she responded shyly, blushing somewhat in embarrassment since she wasn't used to being praised all that much. Usually she was just given nods of approval on separate occasions and never acknowledged further, though Macarona paid more attention to the Gorgon and her feelings than anyone else did. "I-I didn't know I-I was s-so…u-uh, u-um, that invaluable to you." She struggled to express her gratitude, confused as to why it was so difficult for her. Expressing appreciation was easy, yet Medouco kind of felt a bit overwhelmed by it as she was receiving too much.

"You certainly are," Macarona smiled warmly to make the demonic maid feel comfortable. "We're friends."

"D-do you really consider me to be your f-friend, Macarona?" the maid asked just to check if they really were.

The young angel didn't hesitate, nor did she need to think her answer over as she already had it. It was easy, really. The truth had been there the whole time and Macarona didn't need to rethink it any further because she already knew exactly what the precise reply was. It had been what helped motivate her to choose Medouco as her personal warden. "Of course, Medouco, we are friends. We've bonded the entire time together in our respective capacities as prisoner and personal warden. I may have chosen you partly because I felt sorry for how the Gentleman Devil was treating you, but my decision was worth it and I would've made the exact same choice if I went back to do it again because we are friends, Medouco." Her smile never faltered even as she closed her eyes. "Does that sound like a lie?"

Unsure of how to reply, the demonic maid faltered in her answer. She needed time to consider it after all, for Macarona's response definitely wasn't a lie. The Gorgon was positively sure of that now, though still didn't know if opposing her superiors, including the Gentleman Devil, was worth the risk of befriending and aiding the young angel. Fighting back meant she would have gone against everything she was supposed to do under their orders on their behalf because they were her superiors. She'd have sided with somebody who was their enemy, an individual who knew the truth and only wanted to help her world by saving it from a war the Gorgon's superiors wanted to declare and fight. However just the person's actions were, this individual in particular was an angel, somebody meant to be an enemy of demons as per the natural law demanding that angels and demons fight with one another. Even so, this wasn't just any ordinary angel for Macarona was the reincarnated descendant of Rigatona, an honorable angel who treated enemy demons with the proper respect and trusted them too, especially Yosaflame, the one demon she called her best friend. What contributed to this was the fact Macarona came from a world where angels and demons could coexist in pure, harmonious peace. However, the Corporate Heaven and the Devil's Kingdom shared something of an okay relation regarding its commercial ties, so perhaps the thought of angels versing demons could've been put aside permanently. Granted, that might've only pertained to this case involving Macarona; nevertheless, Medouco had to also consider her superiors' perspective too. They were corrupt and used her as a tool; so did Macarona, but the angel wasn't corrupt. If anything, Macarona was more honest than them and worked to preserve their friendship because she cared about the demonic maid. Satanick and his subordinates clearly didn't, so maybe choosing them wasn't the best option despite Medouco's fear of opposing them still being a valid concern. Her fear was the only factor left. Was the risk worth it? Wouldn't it have been a gamble either way whether she was scared of them or not? Was it better to be courageous?

Macarona knew Medouco was approaching the crossroad where the Gorgon would make her decision. The demonic maid was already there, deciding whether she'd let fear inhibit her from making the choice. Would Medouco have remained too scared to have done anything, or would she have bravely faced those fears together with Macarona, somebody she considered a friend after everything they've been through which could've said otherwise? Macarona couldn't force her even though she could offer encouragement. The choice was Medouco's, and she let her choose.

"N-no, I-I don't believe that's a lie," the Gorgon finally responded after mulling over the decision she needed to consider carefully. It was all Macarona needed to know so that she could pose one final question to Medouco. Putting it forward was now easy since the maid said she didn't believe it was a lie. Saying she thought it wasn't could've been a suggestion that she was still unsure just as saying 'believe' would've too. Yet despite Medouco's stuttering, the maid stated that confidently with full conviction and continued further with that confident conviction. "No, it's not a lie."

"Then do you think you're up for considering helping me in the endeavor of helping my world by stopping this war your Devil is starting against it? Would you continue to stay by my side as I continue to understand this hell not as prisoner and personal warden, but as friends, Medouco?" These questions were a difficult inquiry to answer, yet the angelic girl felt positive that the maid would have chosen the affirmative course of action by helping her as a friend.

Although Medouco could've refused out of fear because they were difficult, she gave her answer. "Yes," she said simply, nodding in response to solidify it. "Yes, I shall. I-I know it'll be hard, b-but I can do my best, Macarona."

The smile never left Macarona's face. "Thank you, Medouco, that's all I ask of you," she replied gratefully as they finished their meal. However, their peaceful bliss of friendship during this moment did not last long for it was a temporary respite from the struggle they were involved in. They were going up against a Devil, Satanick, and it was expected he'd do anything to stop them from hindering his plans. That was why Macarona wasn't surprised even as her eyes widened at the sound of shuffling in the corridor outside the castle apartment followed by hushed whispers she couldn't make out too well aside from determining their guests weren't friendly and therefore unwelcome. Medouco heard the noise too and shuddered, tensing up as her body went pale. Her snakes hissed quietly until the angel raised a hand towards them to hold up a single finger to one's lips. The gesture was sent across the collective hive mind of the Gorgon's snakes since they got the message and listened to her since the demonic maid understood it too. "It appears we've got some uninvited guests," Macarona murmured and stood up from the table, creeping towards the kitchen threshold to peer out into the hallway where the apartment entrance was. None of the demons outside burst in yet.

Medouco swallowed heavily, quickly getting up as well to join her angelic companion by staying close to her side. "W-what s-should we d-do, Macarona?" she asked, her voice a hushed whisper also to avoid getting detected. Obviously she was still very scared, though thankfully she was fully convinced to join the young angel's endeavor. "There's a-a lot of soldiers out there…I-I think a private, mobilized unit of professional assassins and gunners…"

"One most likely preparing to breach…" Macarona added in a whispered tone as well.

"B-but they can't come in here!" the Gorgon kept her voice down even as she emphasized that. "Castle doors are constructed with materials designed to nullify whatever method is used to try and break them down. Even several enchantments are incorporated to ensure full protection by amplifying those materials and how they are put together."

"Unless the doors aren't, or if a means was purposely left out of the planning and construction phases," the angelic girl replied and moved forward slightly to silently rush into her bedroom. The demonic maid followed her in, quietly closing the door as an attempt to better protect themselves in the hope that their enemies wouldn't penetrate it. While she had her back turned from Macarona, the young angel quickly lifted up a corner of the mattress of the bed, revealing a medium sized backpack large and small enough to fit inside the alcove. Inside were the normal clothes she usually wore, having washed them days before in preparation for an occurrence like their current predicament. Also in there were a few spare sets of other clothes from this apartment as well as some light snacks for a trip in hiding. She had made sure there were enough for her and Medouco and quickly double checked to see if everything was there before removing the backpack and slinging it over her shoulders. As Medouco had her eyes on the door to keep watch on it while listening for signs of their assailants breaking in, she didn't see what her friend was doing. However, the sounds Medouco heard were enough to convince her that Macarona was prepared. "Here, Medouco," the angel commented as she opened the closet door to reveal a staff inside. It was made from cherry wood and had a white orb; several golden haloes floated around it too. Attached was a note from Chlomaki saying it was a healing staff she had in her reserve, a ceremonial gift from another witch who said it could've been useful at some point when the Witch of Shadows was in need of healing. Chlomaki might've had another use for it, but her note stated she didn't mind turning it over to the demonic maid since it fit Medouco more because of the Gorgon's powerful healing spells, plus it would've been more useful now than any other time she'd have needed it. Apparently the witch somehow got that in the closet without Macarona knowing it until she found the healing staff, but the angel was thankful for it all the same. "Use this staff."

"H-huh?" Medouco murmured, nervously taking her eyes away from the door to see the healing staff. She accepted it from the angel when it was gently thrown to her while Macarona headed over to the barred window. "A healing staff from Miss Chlomaki?" she then added rhetorically and read the brief note from the Witch of Shadows. Macarona, meanwhile while her friend was looking it over, was occupied with analyzing the area outside the window. Nobody was out there thankfully, but that didn't mean no one wouldn't have been anywhere outside her field of view from what she could see. Still, they had to take the risk because this window was their only escape route. With a deep breath she prepared to make an attempt at kicking the bars with enough somatomantic energy applied to one leg that could've possibly broken them. The thought of these bars possibly being enchanted too to strengthen them could've prevented her from trying, though there was no other way. "W-wait, Macarona, you don't intend to fight them all, do you?" Medouco asked her as she averted her attention to the angel just in time to watch Macarona's attempt succeed.

"No, at least not in these conditions where I have no room to really maneuver and they may possess weapons and spells that might allow them to penetrate doors and walls," the angel replied and turned her head to check the door. Hidden from the untrained eye were several small devices along its frame, invisible to the naked eye unless that eye in question was experienced enough in ocular spells that would enable the devices to be viewed past their cloak. Another present from Chlomaki in addition to the staff, something the Witch of Shadows received from yet another witch she knew and left in the closet of Macarona's bedroom. These devices put up a smokescreen whenever the sensors caught movement in their lasers, enabling whoever set them up to escape. However, the downside was that the smoke put anybody caught within it in an unconscious state; it didn't kill them since it wasn't that toxic, but it was that paralytic. Hence why Macarona and Medouco needed to leave now before the apartment was breached to get away from the smokescreen. Climbing onto the window frame and turning to the Gorgon, Macarona held a hand out to her. "Take my hand, Medouco. We're leaving now. Hopefully we can get by unnoticed so we can find a safe place to take cover."

"B-but where would we go, Macarona?" the demonic maid inquired fearfully, afraid they wouldn't be able to get very far. "I-if there's guards after us, we can't go far before we get surrounded and hedged in. We'll be caught!"

"Not if we do the unexpected and take the route less traveled," the angel replied. "We'll stay in the castle."

Medouco's eyes widened in nervous shock. "T-the castle?! B-but it'll be heavily guarded by trained guards!"

"Not if they believe we've fled into Zlienderstrom. They'll think we've fled there after seeing the broken window. Trust me on this one, Medouco, they'll be too preoccupied with trying to find us there they won't know we actually took a U-turn—or rather, never left Nightrise Castle at all for that matter by finding another entrance inside."

Although she was unsure if this plan would've worked, Medouco made a promise to trust her. "Alright," she nodded and accepted the angel's hand after rushing over to take it. "I'll go with you, Macarona. I know a way in."

"Good, thank you, Medouco," Macarona responded gratefully and helped her up before their leap of faith.

Once they had left the apartment, the front door to it burst open. As expected, the smokescreen worked as the soldiers who entered all gradually felt sluggish in their movements prior to falling unconscious. It seeped out into the corridor outside too, affecting the demons there as well who also succumbed to it. Those who saw what happened retreated from the smokescreen even as it began to dissipate, withdrawing in a panic that put the entire castle on edge.

…

"What?! What the hell do you mean they're unconscious?! I just sent them to take care of one prisoner!"

"With all due respect, Mr. Anten, the assassins and gunners were well equipped for the task at hand," the myrmidon explained to his superior, going over the details he knew of regarding the incident in question. "Yet even so, unfortunately, it appears she'd been expecting us to have done something like this and planned her escape in advance. We've plenty of guards on hand still to finish the job both here and in Zlienderstrom as well. Under your orders, I'll instruct them to flank her while those in town mobilize for her arrival. At best we can only hope the guards there have prepared themselves for their duties today to expect trouble. That should buy us time to fully surround the two girls."

"Ah, yes, that one maid, the personal warden that damned angel personally requested herself…" the demonic man murmured and put a bent finger to his chin as he considered the ramifications of eliminating her. Satanick sought Medouco to be killed too by Cosmea, though that plan had failed. Nevertheless, they could still claim she was aiding Macarona's escape by betraying the Gentleman Devil. The Gorgon was their best healer for a demon, but establishing programs for more to follow in her footsteps that way would've rectified the loss. He also pondered on whether the regiment left behind at Nightrise Castle should've been sent out in full, but then thought against it. "No, just send only several small detachments. We'll still require enough here in the event they've not bothered to flee into Zlienderstrom."

The myrmidon bowed. "But of course, Mr. Anten, it shall be done," he remarked as an archer entered.

"Sir, it appears we've got a dire predicament on our hands," she reported in. "The Magnus District demands reinforcements. Apparently the guards and some of the mercenaries on private properties have been overwhelmed."

"Overwhelmed by who?" the assassin inquired with a hissed growl, disliking the predicament getting worse. "Who the hell would dare tread this far into the Devil's Kingdom? We're not even close to the Corporate Heaven's borders or the borders of any other world or region within our territory. What is it: a band of roaming bandits again?"

"Not bandits, sir, these demons are no strangers to military tactics. The banner they fly is one of our own in addition to that of the Thieves' Guild. Which one in particular eludes us, but our deductions suggest they're local."

"You mean we've had a Thieves' Guild sitting right under our noses the entire time and nobody's acted?" Glasses requested further details from where he stood, giving Anten an angry surprise as the assassin noticed him.

"Glasses?! What the hell are you doing here? Shouldn't you be trying to negotiate with some diplomats or something?" he demanded of the Gentleman Devil's son, wondering why this piqued the other demon's interest.

"As a negotiator and diplomat myself of the Department of International and National Diplomatic Affairs, whatever happens in Zlienderstrom and the rest of this region is my business," the demonic youth retorted, knowing Anten would've told him at some point during their conversation that what was happening wasn't his business. "This place is my home, after all, and I am ordering to be privy to the loop for that and my aforementioned occupation. If I'm kept out of this and you allow for the situation to turn worse for the where while Zlienderstrom's in peril, it's your fault." Turning back to the archer for the rest of her report, he ignored what the assassin was going to say. "Go on, continue," he urged her on, not bothering to silence Anten with a glare at the moment since he wanted to hear this from the soldier.

Although she was unsure if Glasses should've been involved, something told her he'd have found out anyway and used his authority as the Gentleman Devil's son to act. Whether it was in their favor by contributing to calming down the tension and helping to clean up the mess or to aid the two fugitives was unsure. Still, she was given a direct order; thereby she had no choice but to follow it. "Unfortunately, Mr. Anten, Mr. Glasses," she addressed them, saying the assassin's name first out of respect to him over their Devil's son, "we've had suspicions of one for quite some time as crimes against the aristocracy and the government were directed at us from the slums. Our investigations turned up nothing, however, so we were unable to locate evidence that solidly proved the existence of a Thieves' Guild's presence within Zlienderstrom. Whoever commands them must be a keen tactician, somebody with knowledge of how our operatives in the field work from out in open combat to within the shadows. Without tangible evidence, we cannot develop leads on the perpetrators and who may be assisting them by way of financial backing or safeguarding them."

"I see…" the Gentleman Devil's son commented and thought about her account. "It's not another guild?"

"Perhaps it is one not allied to our Devil, sir," the archer continued. "You know how it is with alliances and betrayals. If Mr. Satanick were still present, he'd have better control of the situation. Unfortunately, he departed for the Gray Garden not too long ago with Mr. Yagi. They're to make attempts at last minute negotiations with the leaders."

"Because they wish to try and convince the Black Devil and White Goddess they have Macarona in custody with the entire military guarding her on their world's territory," Glasses deduced from that. "My father will refuse to let them see if she really is present and unharmed or not. Or it may be to subdue them to avoid a fight with a deadly trap."

"Hey, that's their business, not yours, dipshit!" Anten retorted, unafraid of having insulted Satanick's son. The Gentleman Devil didn't care about what other people said about Glasses since he and his son weren't on good terms. Although Glasses himself could've done something to the assassin for insulting him, he chose not to because doing so wouldn't have solved anything other than punishing the one who slandered him. Besides, he didn't care what Anten thought because Anten was being the usual lout of an assassin he was known as. "Anyway," he addressed the archer, "how bad is the situation over in the Magnus District? How many private estates have been attacked by this so called 'Thieves' Guild'? The guards in town haven't acted yet upon the chaos, have they?" He was hoping they didn't since Macarona and Medouco needed to be caught, but even he realized how awful it would've been if the aristocrats didn't receive the reinforcements and support they demanded. Without those assets, their support of Satanick would falter.

"About half of the town guards attempted to storm the Magnus District by force while the other half stayed behind in reserve. The unfortunate outcome is that only one made it back on the verge of death which claimed him after he delivered the message he received from this Thieves' Guild. He reported saying that most of the guards who went to the Magnus District are dead and the remaining few have been captured, disarmed, and jailed in private dungeons on the estates claimed by the attackers. None of the other aristocrats dare move against these guys because they're either afraid to or don't see a need to. It's also possible some of them might side with the attackers to betray our Devil for benefits."

"Meaning one of the most political and economic locations in this region is no longer under our command?" Anten scowled, disapproving of their issue further now that it seemed to be getting worse because those aristocrats were not only private property owners, but they were also CEOs and business owners with enough sway in the government. If there wasn't much of an opposition against the fugitives in town, sending only some detachments there now probably wouldn't have made a difference. It could've only made things worse because then Nightrise Castle would've been undermanned, thereby providing a window of opportunity for attack against it when the castle's defenses were not too high. Despite the fact flanking any attackers could've worked, Zlienderstrom's other districts would've been left open for the same attack. Therefore, the risk of trouble on the home front was too great because the citizens in town could've revolted against Satanick and the monarchial government because nothing was being done to protect them in their hour of need. They might've supported the Thieves' Guild too just like the aristocrats might've. With the military force remaining behind spread too thin in this problem, the variables—Nightrise Castle, Zlienderstrom, the Magnus District—were difficult to administer to. Allocating resources and soldiers to each one proved tricky as there wasn't enough for each one just as seizing too many from the others abandoned any condemned variables. He had to do something to solve this.

"I'm afraid so, sir, the perpetrators stated nobody from our side is to enter the Magnus District," the archer explained further to answer his question. "That was their message; if anybody enters, they will kill without hesitation."

"In other words, what we have received is in fact actually nothing short of a declaration of war via a petition keeping us from acting," Glasses said, concluding the findings of that report. "They have hostages just as my father arrested Macarona as one, plus they're not afraid to start firing on even us if we make a move against their objective."

"So what, you think we should do nothing, asshole?" Anten hissed angrily at the Gentleman Devil's son.

"Actually, yes, it's about time somebody stood up to my father," the demonic man stated as he walked out. "Bear in mind that the hostages might still very well die, but that we have no way of confirming if that is so, Anten. I advise you to consider your actions carefully. They'll likely not negotiate with us and are armed for a dire conflict."

"What, like nobody's ever done anything before?!" Anten yelled after him sarcastically. "Like nobody ever agreed with your views and disagreements with him?!" He really hated Glasses and figured the guy would've been useless. By that logic the Devil's son used regarding his occupation and the fact this was his home, Glasses should've cared about this problem they had to deal with. Then again, perhaps not considering he and his father were not on good terms. Even so, Anten didn't give a damn about what that guy thought since Glasses wasn't his concern…yet. The Gentleman Devil didn't really have a use for his own biological son anyway and was still waiting to dispose of him because Glasses was disinterested in being the heir to a corrupt underworld already on its way to ruin. However, the timing wasn't right as of yet. Macarona and Medouco were still his main concern, and Anten had to eliminate them.

…

"And you're positively sure they hadn't come this way, Miss Kiku?"

The Oni nodded in response, a light smile on her face as she shut her eyes to reply. "No, of course not." She didn't mind having guests over even if they were castle guards since she was always welcoming. However, Kiku was intelligent enough to know what their motivation was. Often it was to gauge Glasses' position on some matters and subsequently report their findings to his father. Sometimes they'd try to convince him otherwise, attempting to make Glasses drop whatever he was doing and persuade him to act like the heir he was supposed to be. They never really succeeded, of course, but their constant failures didn't stop them from trying. However, this occasion was different because this time they sought Macarona and Medouco, aware the two girls must've reentered Nightrise Castle by an alternate route that might not have been familiar to them. The guards did their best to make sure all bases on that front remained covered even in the face of unexpected strife they hadn't considered before and now had to deal with. "I've not witnessed neither hide nor hair of the two fugitives you're searching for. I haven't even left the apartment at all today."

"Not even to sweep the area outside your front door or something?" the janissary among the trio of guards inquired curiously. Like the two defenders behind him who followed his instructions as per the orders Anten gave, he wasn't convinced the Oni was telling the truth—and if she was, then it probably wasn't the whole truth. As the man placed in charge of investigating this wing of the castle, he had assigned defenders, warriors, and knights to key spots serving as watchful eyes. These sentries were grouped strategically, situated in areas where they could see entire views enabling them to try and spot their targets or any suspicious movement. Patrolling the areas were gunners and other janissaries supported by skirmishers and nightblades as their backup. Each soldier was assigned to groups of three men each, each group following their specific instructions. While some were stationary sentries, others were mobile. Those stationary units were well trained melee fighters who were the best choice in the janissary's opinion of who should've guarded chokepoints and entryways Macarona and Medouco could've gone through. The mobile units were quick on their feet, slowly patrolling areas around stationary sentries to search for the two fugitives. He thought out every way possible, having analyzed the best locations they could be effective at. "I'm sure somebody has witnessed you—"

"Doing what exactly, sir?" Kiku inquired to politely interrupt him before he could finish that thought. "You claim I may be a party to the 'criminals' you're hunting, somebody providing them aid. Yet you show no evidence of anything regarding that and cite suspicions of me in your search. I understand you're just doing your job, sir, though do know that if I saw or heard something I would inform you right away. You'd be the first to know straight away. Is the belief, whether proven or unproven, that I wouldn't so easy to entertain from your perspective, sir? You can trust me."

"Somehow I doubt that considering your fiancé has supported her," the janissary alluded to Glasses aiding Macarona by negotiating with his father on her behalf for the privileges she received despite being a prisoner. He had a point on that. "Aside from that, you've both interacted with her a few times afterwards, hence our suspicion of you."

"And your belief that we might've collaborated on a plan to help them escape is your evidence?"

The janissary sighed, realizing she was demanding concrete evidence he didn't possess. "Unfortunately not."

"Then I suggest you kindly excuse yourselves from our humble abode," the Oni curtsied politely, raising one arm afterwards to direct them to the front door they all stood in front of. "Glasses should be back momentarily and he won't be too happy with you for having cited nothing but suspicions against us without probable cause or a warrant supported by tangible evidence." She knew he wasn't looking forward to dealing with the Devil's son since Glasses would've found out about what happened and why there were guards in the castle. Granted there weren't too many because the military force of Zlienderstrom was spread too thin and couldn't be allocated in one spot effectively, but despite cutting corners they had to protect key areas to prevent escape from within and any intruders from outside.

"Very well, Miss Kiku, but I must insist on the units outside this apartment remaining where they are. We have orders from above and must follow them. You understand, I know, so keeping them where they shouldn't be a real problem should accommodate your wishes. That is, unless there is trouble even if you're not involved, they must act."

Kiku nodded as the three of them stepped out. "Certainly, I fully understand." Hearing their footsteps leave moments later she stepped into the living room and sat down on a couch to sip some tea. The apartment the Oni was sharing with Glasses was quiet, nary a sound reverberating throughout the space apart from the ticking of a grandfather clock that chimed a certain number of times to indicate what time it was when the correct hour arrived. Seated there, she appeared very calm and serene while enjoying her tea, waiting for her fiancé to return from finding out what occurred recently just about a half hour ago. From the look of her demeanor one might've thought she was simply doing that, refusing to panic even though she didn't know anything because she had to remain strong. However, one might have otherwise claimed the Oni did know something if not much and was guarding a secret only she and a select few may have known about. She removed all the hidden bugs and cameras after she and Glasses found them, triple checking everything ensuring they missed not a single one. Therefore nobody who worked for the Gentleman Devil would've known for sure if they were up to anything. Nonetheless, they were still aware of the missing bugs and cameras since Glasses and Kiku forwarded the broken remains of those devices to them with threats to take action against them for invading the privacy of their own apartment. Knowing the two of them were stronger than a lot of the demons here including Glasses' own father even though Kiku herself wasn't stronger than Satanick put them in their place at once. "You both can come out now," she said aloud in a soft tone her guests could hear. "They're gone and won't return."

Emerging from within the other couch across from her after pushing the cushions up, the two guests she had safeguarded in secret away from prying eyes climbed out and dusted themselves off. Had the guards come in here to search everything, they would've eventually found Macarona and Medouco there. Yet the angel was armed with a fireplace poker which Kiku had given her to fight back whereas the Gorgon could've hit them with her new staff. Although hiding in the apartment saved them, they knew guards would've been at the door and others flew outside, searchlights they carried shining in through windows for any sign of the prisoner and her personal warden. Aside from them were the other guards stationed around the area and on patrol inside and out around the castle on the ground too. "Thanks, Kiku, you're a lifesaver," Macarona complimented her with gratitude for the Oni's aid in hiding them. "We'd have been caught by now if they forced their way in and investigated further. Thankfully we already got to you first."

Kiku's eyes were still shut as she smiled. "It's no trouble, Macarona. We don't mind hiding you both here."

"A-and we're very grateful you have," Medouco murmured as she and the angel replaced the couch cushions back where they belonged and sat down on them to catch her breath. Hiding within it was tense as she and Macarona needed to keep calm and quiet while holding their breath aside from breathing through their nostrils. It was also a bit cramped too since they had to get on their hands and knees to bend down just enough so the cushions would cover them both. Safeguarded within such claustrophobic settings was kind of terrifying to the demonic maid even though the Gorgon hardly had too much of a problem with them, but she still trapped inside an enclosed space with no room for escape or mobility as she was heavily constricted from doing virtually anything. Thankfully that part of their ordeal finished even as the worst part was yet to come: attempting to sneak past all the guards. "Though they're still out there."

"At least they're not in here and can't hear us through these stone walls," the young angel remarked softly to lower her voice in case they did. It never hurt to be too cautious in a predicament like theirs. "So, where's Glasses off to?" she then added by addressing the Oni next. "Has he gone out to acquire any details about the current situation?"

Kiku nodded, opening her eyes. "Indeed, I must say we were both surprised to hear an alert going off in the castle. Mr. Satanick has already departed some time ago with Mr. Yagi and they'll not return for some time, I suspect," she explained to them what she already knew so far. "I've no idea where exactly their business is, but the alert is being investigated by Glasses. He left immediately after the alarm went off to find whoever's in charge and should be back soon." Taking another sip of her tea, she put forth cups so Macarona and Medouco could have some too if they were thirsty. "Since his brief departure for information, guards have come to this wing of the castle in search of you two as you've already overheard. They'll be going through a systematic combing of the entire wing, covering everything from public spaces to secret rooms known only to Mr. Satanick and his staff of personal military units. I imagine there'll be some trouble they'll encounter since emissaries and diplomats from other regions of the Devil's Kingdom and other underworlds too are staying over as well in this wing. Some of them may want to protect their privacy and believe an alarm like this would get in the way of their business with the Department of International and National Diplomatic Affairs. So far it already is because everybody's on edge and all employees aside from military personal are allowed to wander the castle on their patrols. Everybody else would likely be under a strict curfew to keep them out of this issue."

"I see…" Macarona nodded, understanding the situation so far. "They must really want us dead then for escaping. Then again, we were forced to because they have taken this kind of action against us first, not counting the previous incidents that got me into your hell in the first place and what I've been doing to try and oppose your Devil. Chlomaki sent over some things to aid us with that in the event something like this ever happened and—well, it did."

"Hence the alert," the Oni concluded as they suddenly heard the apartment's front door open. Going to investigate, she stepped out for a second to determine who was there and came back in. "Ah, Glasses just returned."

"I have, yes," the demonic commented and stepped in to find their guests already seated on the couch and making themselves comfortable for a spell. He didn't react to their presence, unsurprised by how they were here when he'd gone out to find out what was going on. What he learned pertained to them as he discovered they escaped, but Glasses figured they'd have at least gone to see somebody they trusted who worked in the castle. That included him as well as Kiku, but Sullivan wasn't an option since his boss in the Department of International and National Diplomatic Affairs couldn't be accessed. The whole castle was under lockdown due to the alert, and nobody was allowed to go anywhere even inside. Luckily Macarona and Medouco made it here safely just in the nick of time before the order had gone off to secure the castle and prevent anybody from escaping or entering, closing it off from the outside world. "I acquired more information about what's happening because of the alert you two have caused," he explained. "Anten's clearly in a bad mood and wants this taken care of immediately. He's the one who authorized the whole lockdown."

"So he's obviously in charge," the angelic girl noted. "And where's your father gone off to? Kiku said he left."

"He and Yagi are en route to the Gray Garden, apparently to initiate the invasion of your world, Macarona," Glasses went on to answer her inquiry. "From how things are not well on the home front, I'd say they were in a rush to eliminate you and start the conflict. My father and his Chancellor and Marshal both departed in a hurry, it seems, if the information I heard is correct. I wasn't told why, but considering the factors prior to their abrupt departure, I'd say an accurate best guess would be that my father's meeting with Her Majesty had gone south after she summoned him." Macarona nodded, acknowledging that since the information she provided to Sibuna obviously spurred that meeting. Saying nothing about it and merely nodding to show she understood so far, she let the demonic man continue. "Then we've got this lockdown with my father's men as the culprits under his orders to have you both killed. You escaped successfully, thus leading to the alert that's now got everybody on edge with armed guards everywhere and nobody allowed to leave whatever area they're in. Everyone's being rounded up and kept in groups so the guards won't be opposed by them, and they can question the employees and other demons about whatever suspicious activity they've noticed. Hopefully neither of you were seen coming here after the alarm sounded, otherwise we're in some deep shit."

"We weren't," Macarona assured him. "Medouco knew a quick way in from a balcony nearby, but we need more information on the movement and positions of both patrols and stationary sentries throughout the entire castle."

"Sure, I actually went through the whole castle while I was passing by on my way towards the security center and back here from it," the demonic man nodded and turned over the details Macarona requested. "You're in luck, Macarona, as there aren't many present right now due to an issue in the Magnus District. A Thieves' Guild has been causing trouble over on some of the estates, and they've got hostages—including guards who went to investigate." Macarona nodded again, having acknowledged that Zlienderstrom's Thieves' Guild was behind the attack since she expected they'd have not ignored the opportunity presented to them by Cosmea's attack. While the aristocracy was probably squabbling amongst itself, forming alliances and betraying others while sticking close to their current allies to regulate the situation involving Moonshadow Manor, Yarg Xof and his fellows were moving in to distribute justice. They'd have taken back what was stolen from the citizens of Zlienderstrom's middle and lower classes, holding the hostages captive until their demands were met if they even wanted to negotiate with the monarchial government that Satanick controlled. However, the Gentleman Devil and his associates were most likely on the run and needed to get things finished quickly so they could escape the Queen's wrath, so those negotiations wouldn't have likely happened unless Glasses took command over them. Another factor she considered was how the aristocracy was taking Yarg's takeover and infiltration as they possibly considered: fighting back; doing nothing; or supporting the Thieves' Guild.

"Do you know which estates have been targeted so far?" Medouco asked, worried about her own family.

"Unfortunately, I don't," Glasses replied, giving her a bit of bad news. "It's unclear yet which estates have already fallen and what turns the situation over there is taking. They're not letting any of my father's supporters in."

"O-oh, I-I see…" the Gorgon murmured sadly, fearful her family might've been targeted and harmed as well.

"Well, in any case, I suggest you focus on getting out of here as quickly as possible," the young man stated and began going over the number of troops in each area of the castle. "In this wing of the castle there's at least thirty guards. Every one of them is situated in units of three and consist of: warriors, janissaries, defenders, knights, nightblades, gunners, and skirmishers. You've got the knights, warriors, and defenders as stationary sentries and the rest as patrol units. The chokepoints are corridors and entryways that are being blocked by the stationary sentries while patrol units are going around checking the area for any signs of you two. The man in charge of this whole squad is a janissary and he's got a couple of defenders with him; they're going around this wing checking the other apartments to see if you're both inside. However, that can present a problem for them because the apartments are housing diplomats and emissaries from the other regions of the Devil's Kingdom, plus other underworlds too. Several of them won't take too kindly to what's happening and will claim the search and this lockdown are getting in the way of their business. Some of them need to depart for their homes and hells they call home whereas others are demanding for business to be carried out despite the situation placing a strict curfew over everybody. Thankfully I met the janissary captain and used my authority as the Gentleman Devil's son to override his and Anten's, but I was only able to make them leave only the general vicinity of our apartment and have them stop searching the apartments in the first place to avoid angering the other occupants."

"Yet they're still out and about," the young angel observed after listening to his account of this wing alone.

"Yes, though no longer in this vicinity," Glasses nodded to assure her the first part of this wing was safe. "It's simple now to make some progress out, but then you've got the grand foyer and the outside courtyard blocked. The number of troops there is doubled, both inside and out while protecting the front entrance by—again—controlling all chokepoints and patrolling the area. On the other sides outside you've got twenty soldiers each doing the same thing. Therefore the front entrance is impossible to get through because of the soldiers all arriving from the aforementioned spaces and other wings of the castle which have thirty soldiers each." As he continued going over the numbers of the soldiers in total per area, Macarona noted the tally in her head while Medouco's eyes widened. Thirty troops here plus those elsewhere: sixty; sixty; and ninety all added up to over two hundred forty based on the castle's exterior and interior.

"T-t-that many soldiers?!" the demonic maid squeaked timidly, turning pale at the total amount of troops.

"It makes sense considering this is the Gentleman Devil's castle," Macarona remarked since she understood how important the situation was to Satanick. "He'll not want anybody getting in or out and would vigorously defend Nightrise Castle because it's where his seat of power is located. Further, he'll need to protect anything illegal he'd be hiding because of how his policies and business with illegal institutions would be perceived. He would essentially be considered a criminal and a traitor, thus leading to the sacking of him from his position as a Devil and his arrest too."

"That's the gist of it, but you've got some headway. Aside from my aforementioned usage of authority over Anten and the soldiers, you've got the issue of your apartment and whatever you used to put the soldiers out. That's problematic for them because they'd need to quarantine the space and evacuate that part of the building. It's already finished from what I've overheard, but they'll still be busy cleaning up and finding the source of that substance to get it ready for the troops to move in and defend that space too. Therefore some emphasis would be placed on the number of troops there since that's where you escaped from, and it'll certainly affect the number of troops on hand in the castle."

"Meaning some will have to be pulled from other wings," Macarona deduced after Glasses explained that. "It's going to be tough allocating soldiers, but what about guards from around Zlienderstrom. Are they also available too?"

"Unfortunately, no, there's too few even there too. There are significantly less than the total number of guards present here at the castle partly due to the fact a lot of them are among the captives in the Magnus District when they traveled within to try and investigate and fight back against this Thieves' Guild. Many more of them died, though a number of them have become the very hostages I spoke of," the demonic man explained. "If anything, Zlienderstrom might be easier to traverse through than Nightrise Castle because of the lack of guards. If a revolt were to erupt, it'll be simpler than that, actually, since they can't focus on you and the townsfolk rebelling if they believe they're going to be attacked too and aren't receiving enough support and aid to help protect them. Using that revolt if it were to happen, chances of escaping would increase for you. Plus they'd get into a deadly fight against the citizens who outnumber them. Fighting against those odds could lead to their defeat, but so would their victory over the citizens because then that can pose a serious risk of portraying them as being overly aggressive towards the people they're supposed to protect and serve." Adjusting his glasses on the rim of his nose, the demonic man then crossed his arms as he went on. "With the Magnus District and Zlienderstrom no longer too much of a problem for you, Macarona, this castle is a first obstacle you'd need to overcome. It'll be hard, but I'm sure you both could make it out of here. Yet there's another problem."

"Soldiers along the way out," Macarona put forth a guess as Glasses nodded.

"Exactly, you'd need to hide and avoid them too unless they're called back to reinforce the ones in town. Therefore it'd be time consuming along the way because you two would probably need to keep hiding. That can affect how long it'll take for you to return to the Gray Garden. Additionally, factor in how guarded the portal will be as well as whether you'd need to pass through the Corporate Heaven or not," the demonic man continued. "Depending on the circumstances, the chances of your world being lost in the conflict are not good for you. You're in a race against time."

"We're aware of that already, but thanks for the reminder," the young angel said as she stood up and went to head out. "Still, I can't just linger onwards making decisions when my world's safety is at stake. In spite of the odds, fighting back is all I can do. That's why, in spite of the risks, I must approach the closest portal as best I can to return."

"M-Macarona…" Medouco murmured softly, understanding how desperate the angel was to save her home.

"Then you'll need to be stealthy about returning," Glasses commented and stood up too to give Macarona something that would've been of aid to her. "Unfortunately, all I can provide you is something for Nightrise Castle." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a key with a skull on the handle and turned it over to Macarona. "This is what's referred to as a skeleton key. It'll get you through many of the doors in this castle, though not all of them. You'll need a master skeleton key for that, but only my father carries the only copy of that and never parts with it." Raising an arm, Glasses placed a hand on the angel's shoulder to give her some advice. "Listen, Macarona, though time is against you while running out, don't ever get too impatient. You'll likely not considering I already know you're aware of this fact, though I'm merely reminding you. If you're planning to go through the portal my father established to take the army straight to the Gray Garden, you'll need to be wary about any soldiers protecting it on this hell's side. They won't be arresting you as I'm sure they wouldn't like the previous squad sent out to execute you and all the other guards here. Getting caught by them means death on sight, so you've only got one life to live and one chance to save your world."

"Both go hand in hand, after all," Macarona said as she smiled and bowed her head to show her gratitude. "Thank you and Kiku for everything you've both done to help me so far. I appreciate the aid you've provided me and your belief in me. Without you two to support me, I'd have not obtained those privileges from your father, Glasses."

The demonic man nodded. "You're quite welcome, Macarona, though know that I was merely performing my duty as a member of the Department of International and National Diplomatic Affairs. Aiding you so as not to ruin relations with those our world has ties to which also have ties to yours is a concern of my department. What happens to your world can affect them, after all, and in turn it'll probably affect our relations with them as well. What my father's committed to has already done enough damage and I've got to help fix it so the Devil's Kingdom can avoid that."

"Yet Glasses knew it was also the best way of helping you, Macarona," Kiku commented from her seat.

"Indeed," the angel agreed with her. "Even if it was to preserve relations with other civilizations connected to your underworld and my world, I am eternally grateful all the same because it's been of such huge help to my cause." Stepping closer to the door, she turned around before walking out. "I'm sorry for not being able to stay longer and say goodbye," Macarona added, shutting her eyes with a smile on her face. "If I did, you'd get caught because of us and would definitely be in trouble by simply being in our presence." Opening her eyes, she turned to the Gorgon. "Let's go, Medouco. We've got to head out right away before the guards get too suspicious and decide to come back here."

The demonic maid nodded and stood up to join her as they began to leave. "Of course, Macarona," she said before turning back to address Glasses and Kiku with gratitude. "Thanks again for hiding us, Mr. Glasses, Miss Kiku."

"Don't mention it," Glasses responded as they departed.

…

 **Another chapter down, just a few more to go. I'm really approaching the end of this story, and I must say it's been quite a while since it first started just at the very end of last year. It has been a little over several months since this story was published, and it's been fun to write it. At the same time there have been occasions when issues and matters in real life came up that had to be tended to which hindered progress, but I'm still at it. It'll not be too long now and I do have one final boss fight left before the very end, so look forward to that.**

 **With regards to the non-canon RPG elements I mentioned about a few chapters ago, I have ideas for classes—sixty in total so far even though a lot of them might not make it in the end. A few are seen in this chapter, so I'll go over several in brief just to give you an idea of what kind of classes I chose for non-canon elements.**

 **First are the janissaries who are based on actual janissaries from the Ottoman Empire. They began as elite slave soldiers when Sultan Murad I constructed the force in 1383, but as time passed and they became famous, the janissaries started becoming a corrupt military unit. Another Sultan, Mahmud II, abolished them in the Auspicious Incident of 1826. Because of this the janissaries revolted against him until they were defeated. However, this also led to the rise of more modernized military units in the Ottoman Empire after their defeat. Janissaries are well-known in popular culture such as in the movie Dracula Untold and in numerous video games series like Europa Universalis, Age of Empires, Total War, and Civilization. These are some examples, though I looked to history for inspiration on how to make this a class instead of using the games and other forms of popular culture as inspiration. The aforementioned examples and other forms of popular culture must've also done the same too; however, janissaries are a class featured in more real time strategy games than others.**

 **Next are the myrmidons, a class that originates in Greek mythology as an ancient nation with a hero of this name being an ancestor of this land. According to Greek mythology, Myrmidon was the son of Zeus and Eurymedusa who married Peisidice, the daughter of Enarete and Aeolus. His children were: Antiphus; Actor; Erysichthon (he is considered to be the son of different parents in some accounts); Eupolemeia; and Hiscilla. As for the people of the same name, they were considered natives of Thessaly and were formed by Zeus from ants which fits their Greek name for ants: myrmex. This may fit with a story of how Zeus went to Eurymedusa in the form of an ant himself, though other accounts claim Myrmex was her mortal spouse Zeus disguised as. They participated in the Trojan War described in Homer's Iliad in which Achilles commanded them. A play by an Athenian dramatist named Aeschylus was named after them and it was the first in a trilogy about Achilles. The myrmidon is a class that is somewhat known because of how it was used in some forms of modern culture, but I'm basing the class on how it's portrayed in the Fire Emblem series—the disclaimer for which is found below.**

 **Next are the gunners, a class from the Etrian Odyssey series that utilizes firearms in the games to deal with enemies from afar. In the series they have low defense and low health, so it's recommended to place them behind units in the front. However, the firearms are their greatest strength to make up for these weaknesses. Again, like with the other video games this class is from, this too shall also be found in the disclaimer below. Now, bear in mind that like before in the author's notes of chapter fourteen, I'm not advocating for the usage of any firearms in real life. This is a fanfiction story taking a non-canon direction towards non-canon ideas Mogeko might not have thought about for the canon material. I strongly advise against using firearms in real life since that's dangerous and will have consequences in real life too because they are extremely dangerous weapons.**

 **Finally, there are the skirmishers, a kind of soldier that functions either as a light infantry unit or as part of a cavalry. Their general purpose is to serve as vanguards (advanced guards in the lead) or the rearguard (the soldiers protecting lines along the flank). Unlike other soldiers who may be more organized when mobilized, skirmishers are not because they're meant to be asymmetrical in their formation so they can harass enemies by weakening morale or disrupting attacks and movement. The fact skirmishers fight in smaller numbers as well as within open formations gives them an advantage over normal sized armies since they can use the terrain to their benefit and retreat when necessary. Unfortunately, they cannot fight back effectively against heavier units. It's a kind of soldier that has been around pretty much forever since ancient periods of history, and like janissaries they've also been incorporated into real time strategy games such as the aforementioned Age of Empires series.**

 **You can learn more about this stuff on Wikipedia or wikias about the games these classes are from.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Dracula Untold; it's owned by Gary Shore and is based on Bram Stoker's Dracula which is owned by Bram Stoker. I don't own Fire Emblem; it's owned by Intelligent Systems and Nintendo SPD. I don't own the Age of Empires series; it's owned by: Ensemble Studios, Big Huge Games, and Robot Entertainment. I don't own the Etrian Odyssey series; it's owned by Atlus and Lancarse. I don't own the Europa Universalis series; it's owned by Paradox Development Studio. I don't own the Total War series; it's owned by The Creative Assembly and Feral Interactive. I don't own the Civilization series; it's owned by: MicroProse, Avalon Hill, Activision, and Firaxis Games (which actually currently owns the series so far).**


	27. Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Hedge Maze

To say their escape would've been easy was false for fleeing from a castle as heavily guarded as this place would've been very difficult for anybody who didn't know their way. They would've gotten lost among many halls attempting to locate the correct route out after completing whatever objective they came for. Sometimes it was some negotiations that ended up going south with one party pursuing those disadvantaged by how the meetings and talks progressed. Other times it was to retrieve an important item or document from the hands of a thieving group or some individuals who had it legally and obtained it properly via legitimate channels. Sometimes it was after an assassination was either pulled off successfully or botched terribly, and in either case the perpetrator had to flee the scene or become a prisoner. In Macarona's case she already became a prisoner now escaping for her freedom and to save her home world from destruction. Negotiations with the Gentleman Devil over the return of his wife went south because Satanick sent assassins first and two of them caused trouble; despite their failure, however, they successfully spirited Macarona away to the Devil's Kingdom. Those notions of why she was escaping were altered under the circumstances Macarona found not just herself, but also the Gray Garden, Lil, and the underworlds subject to because of Satanick and his sinister plans.

The Gentleman Devil continued to work with another Devil, Warwick, in the latter's black market and also declared war against the Gray Garden for the sake of resources and territory while claiming it was that world's fault because they captured Lil. It was nothing more than a filthy lie, a fabrication he created as justification for his war and Satanick made sure to try and keep other underworlds out of the affair unless he requested their aid. How anybody could've believed him when actions spoke louder than words was hard to comprehend. Then again, Satanick knew perfectly well how useful actions were and did what he could to shape them as such for that very purpose, so he knew exactly what he was doing. The young angel had to give him that much at the very least, acknowledging that he was extremely conniving as a manipulator of political power. Unfortunately for him, even that height of his power wasn't entirely safe as she had heard from his son. Glasses knew more about the current situation than she did and he relayed everything he learned to her before they left his apartment with the skeleton key he provided to the two of them. The angelic girl knew she had to escape and that her escape was made a bit easier with it, though not by much because the chances of getting caught were still high. Nonetheless, they had to be attentive for any noise or talking from enemies because that too would've helped them get by unnoticed as long as they were patient enough to wait out any patrols.

Unfortunately, time wasn't on their side as the demonic man remarked. Macarona and Medouco had to get away from Nightrise Castle before it was too late, before the fighting actually began. Yet neither of them nor Glasses knew precisely when that would've taken place or when the Gentleman Devil and Yagi had departed and how long conflict would've taken to initiate. Therefore the two girls had to be on their toes and plan accordingly by paying such extreme attention to details that they could flee in enough time—and potentially uncover more information if possible along the way if anything sprang up quick for them to take. The downside was that they couldn't spend too much time on it; otherwise they'd have probably been caught or would've been too late to stop the procedures of war from occurring.

Thankfully Macarona had Medouco by her side not just as a companion and friend, but also as her guide in Nightrise Castle. The Gorgon knew several ways around patrols and through stationary sentries without being seen by either. Their first stretch was an easy one because of Glasses' aid in having the guards leave the apartments near his, a welcome benefit for crossing into a few corridors to avoid a patrol and quietly hurry up a stairwell to the floor above. Going down wasn't exactly an option at that point since another patrol was heading up while another was coming down, though that latter unit was a few flights above the duo whereas the other was a couple below. Ascending a solitary flight was better, and they managed to luckily dart by another patrol into another apartment adjoined with a second one.

After catching their breath for a few moments while waiting for another patrol to pass by, silently grateful the apartments they entered by random chance to avoid detection were empty of occupants, they hurried towards a small balcony overlooking what appeared to be a library or archives of sorts. Not many shelves filled the space of the room, though there were several for what appeared to be hotel registries as if this wing was being treated like a hotel. It made sense since emissaries and diplomats among other individuals stayed within the apartments temporarily. As small as it was, the archives for these registries was something of a safe place. However, they had to depart quickly when a lone chartomancer entered to use a spell collecting loose files into a portfolio for storage. While he was too busy shelving it, Macarona and Medouco managed to get out into another hall they snuck through in a hurry to enter the dining hall. Everybody who stayed here for whatever purposes had to have eaten in this space, and it was here they located some guards interrogating the castle staff. Lunch tables were overturned, erected as barriers keeping intruders out and those deemed suspicious or necessary to protect if only temporarily in. Chairs acted as the reinforcement structures for these barricades both behind them to keep the tables up besides just the table legs being the sole support and also stacked high enough to for extra cover. Unfortunately, spaces between the chair legs was a double edged sword that could have been exploited by anyone firing: spells, arrows, crossbow bolts, or other kinds of projectiles and ammunition into the dining hall the same way guards would've used them. Knocking them over was another disadvantage due to attacks hitting them.

Although a few access points were allowed in, these were observed carefully with strict scrutiny by guards mainly to keep anybody outside out. The only reason why access points were allowed was because it was better for funneling foes through one to two entryways than having an entire hoard attempt to break in. That must have been the logic governing this action, though Macarona had to mentally call the defensive maneuver out because it was foolish. These demons, though prepared for the other barricades falling and accounting for the access points, were few in their numbers. She could only see a total of six guards present: three knights, two defenders, and a janissary at the head. Macarona couldn't see any others though, so she supposed stealthy units were mixed into the crowd as well which consisted of several castle employees and a few diplomats from other regions of the Devil's Kingdom as well as an emissary from another underworld entirely. From what she and Medouco could hear as they snuck in without a hitch when one of the knights was called over to assist in stopping an argument from breaking out, it seemed a small conflict within this very room could've boiled over into a heated fight that would've definitely soured relations all around.

"How many times do I have to tell you I've never seen an angel matching her description, let alone heard of whoever she may be?" the foreign emissary demanded coldly in an authoritative tone when addressing the janissary. "I have only just arrived today and wanted a quick bite to eat before I could begin what I came here to do. Now I can't perform my duties accordingly because of this damned lockdown you've got going on, and I'm scheduled to leave—"

"Whenever you established those timetables," the janissary spoke, revealing himself to be the same one who showed up before to demand of Kiku the privilege to search the apartment unless they were allowed to use some force to acquire results on that front. The two defenders wielding steel plated tower shields by him while clad in the same kind of armor must've been the same guys as well. "Now, pay attention, sir, I mean no disrespect. Please understand I'm required to pose inquiries of this sort just as you're obligated to fulfill whatever responsibilities are allocated upon you. All you have to do is be honest with me and tell me what I need to know before you may be left alone to wait out the lockdown."

The emissary scoffed. "I am being honest with you, I haven't seen her! Must I hammer that into your skull before you get the point so you can comprehend what I'm telling you a little clearer? I don't even know who she is!"

"It doesn't matter who she is to you, only whether or not you've seen her or any kind of suspicious activity."

"What, a lone angelic girl is so suspicious in an underworld that frequently deals with angels from its world's own heaven that you need to put the entire castle on lockdown just to catch her? I said I saw absolutely nothing! I've not seen her, sir, and do bear in mind that if you dare to repeat that inquiry one more time after having tried my patience—"

"I do dare to repeat because I require an answer!" the janissary protested and received a strong punch to the face in response to having made the same demand again. He kind of deserved it since he was bothering another demon claiming he knew nothing about what was going on. Although the janissary was an enemy, Macarona had to feel a little sorry for him because he was only doing his duty as a soldier by trying to acquire as much information as possible. She didn't want to laugh, and even if she and the Gorgon did get the feeling, they'd have had to stifle their laughter since laughing would've gotten them caught once they drew unwanted attention. They had already approached a trash chute when words came to a blow, and it was their only recourse of getting outside. A timetable of when garbage men would've been arriving to collect trash was on the wall and Medouco stole a glance at it before whispering to Macarona it would've been safe as the chutes were cleaned prior to the arrival of garbage men so that the chutes wouldn't smell of any foul odors. The two of them got in as the knight and both defenders went to aid the janissary who now had a bloody nose from having been punched over doing his duty. Had he allowed the emissary to leave, he'd have been unharmed.

"There, that should be your answer," the emissary retorted angrily, wiping the blood off his clawed hand with a napkin before tossing it in a trash bin next to the counter where meals were served after being prepared in the kitchen. "You want any more trouble, I can guarantee you there is more to be found. Now may I return to my apartment?"

The janissary sighed, raising a hand for the other guards to lower their weapons. "Just drop it and escort him."

…

The ride down was a quick, albeit bumpy one that took them only a minute or so to descend into an enclosed garden. Exiting the chute on both feet and purposely rolling forward behind the cover of a large fountain, Macarona peered out from behind it to briefly examine the garden. Around her were gorgeous flowers of all types, forming such magnificence for such a garden it felt more like a field of flowers. Nearby was a hedge maze teeming with hedges and small trees that appeared to go in both directions while a couple guards looked down into it from above on a gazebo situated on a hilltop overlooking the maze. Two more were with them, glancing over a large space where tables and benches were set up for anybody to sit down and have meetings outside or perform other activities. The fountain she remained behind was but one of two pristine fountains constructed of marble, water flowing from the top cascading directly onto a platform where it went to the next platform before ending up at the bottom where it circulated back. Judging from the appearance of this exterior location, Macarona had to liken it to a public park since it looked like one.

Her examination lasted only seconds since she had to return to the chute, using a large vehicle of some kind which she guessed was going to transport the garbage away as cover. Since none of the guards were looking in her direction, unaware of the lone angel standing directly under the chute, she could perform this action quickly and be done with it. Holding her arms out and waiting for the Gorgon to fall out, she watched as the demonic maid emerged from within, landing right into the young angel's arms before being helped to her feet. At the sound of approaching footsteps, Medouco stifled a timid gasp as best she could when Macarona quickly pulled her under the huge vehicle. Breathing deeply as they laid low on the ground underneath it, just inches away from the tires so they wouldn't have gotten run over or get their clothes caught on the wheels, the duo remained quiet and listened attentively for any noise. "Well, that was a close one…" the angel murmured silently in a hushed whisper only the Gorgon could hear. "Good thing that chute really was clean and nothing else was going down it when we were." As if on cue, a sack of garbage landed on the ground behind the truck after falling out of the chute, catching Medouco's attention as she turned back to look for a moment.

"I-I'll say…" she whispered nervously, unable to stop herself from shivering fearfully. "W-what if more had noticed and came down to follow us? Would they know where we are and what we're hiding under, Macarona?"

"If they did, they'd have come out through the chute if they took it too," the angel explained despite the fact Medouco must've already accounted for what she was saying. "Even if they didn't, they know where it leads to." Footsteps sounded off as the driver exited the vehicle and walked over to get the sack, his feet and ankles revealed to Macarona and Medouco as they watched with bated breath, wondering if he was going to look under his vehicle if he suspected anything or had noticed something that needed fixing of some sort. The young angel held a finger up, her gesture silencing the demonic maid and her snakes as they watched and waited, listening to the conversation he had.

"You going to search this one too?" the demon who drove the truck asked sarcastically with a laugh. "Smell it; you really believe two girls would fit inside a sack this size with all the shit in it and still smell nice inside the thing?"

"Ah, go to hell, damn you, we're in the middle of an investigation," a guard with him commented brusquely. "I don't see you cooperating with us by opening these sacks of shit to show us what's inside, you old codger. Open it."

"You really want to look inside?" the garbage man inquired whimsically. From his tone there might've been a smirk on his face. The sound of him tossing the sack to the guard in question echoed somewhat so the girls could hear their continued banter. "Here, you open it up if you want a peek so badly. It's not my job to show you your own shit."

"You're the garbage man here, you open it!" the guard demanded, throwing the sack right back to him.

"Hey, I didn't sign up for that shit," came the retort as the sack was thrown into the truck. "My job's to just deliver this shit to the yard so it can be stockpiled into a landfill. You want to complain about it, talk to my superiors."

"Maybe I will," the demonic guard retorted back. "I'll tell him you refused to cooperate with the authorities."

"Just as you're refusing to let me leave, sir," the driver spat back. "You want this shit gone, be my guest and authorize my leave out. Otherwise feel free to take in the pleasant scent of your own shit as you go about your business."

"Fine, fine, just get it out of here. I can't stand the stench any longer," again, the guard retorted, but caved and signaled for a few guards on standby at the gate to allow the driver passage. "Just let him out, he doesn't have them." Hearing responses from the other guards who argued against it for a bit, Macarona and Medouco could feel the truck beginning to start up as they also heard a bang erupt from its exhaust pipe followed by smoke released with it. Nobody was watching the ground underneath it since whatever eyes were on the truck were only making sure it left. Prior to driving out, Macarona quickly rolled in between the two side wheels to her right so she could duck within a flowerbed while gesturing for Medouco to do the same. Apprehensive about getting run over, the demonic maid followed suit immediately just as the wheels were starting to turn and go forward. Luckily she wasn't caught underneath them.

Peering out at the number of guards—fifteen in total of the ones she could see, the remaining five not in sight—the Gorgon swallowed heavily and turned to look in both directions towards two different gates. One was where that driver went through after being allowed to leave, the large, ornate barred doors being pushed outward so the truck could depart through it. The guards pulled it back moments later, taking two guards per side to do it. On the other side Medouco could see four more guards at the same kind of gate, the stonework arching above it serving as a kind of mini battlement or a tower of sorts. That made eight and she could see an additional two holding searchlights while flying around this wall of Nightrise Castle, peering into the rooms determining whether they could see the girls hiding within. Yet they were not, and so these two demons were performing a task that wasn't really necessary anymore because Macarona and Medouco were already out here in the garden. If they had shone their searchlights down at the garden towards their position, they'd have been seen almost immediately if the demons noticed any suspicious movement. Added to the mix was the other guard who had just spoken with the driver, a knight from the looks of it; he seemed to be the one in charge for this section of the exterior. All of the eight demons present at the gate appeared to be knights too whereas the demons above were crossbowmen. The remaining four up the gazebo were gunners, observing the area with such scrutiny as if their eyes were those of eagles. As for the remaining five, they had to be over in the hedge maze patrolling it for anyone hiding there.

Medouco carefully breathed deeply, releasing a breath she'd been holding for the past several moments as observing the guards with her angelic companion made her feel uneasy about how they'd proceed. The gates were off-limits and there was a backdoor leading back into the castle, but the head knight was standing by it with his eyes on everywhere else. Added to that was the hedge maze where they could've been ambushed by the five remaining guards they couldn't see. That hedge maze was probably their only recourse and the five might've been stationary or on patrol. Perhaps they included stealthy classes like nightblades or skirmishers, maybe even assassins or illusionists and whispers. "W-what're we going to do, Macarona?" she whispered nervously and shivered fearfully, afraid of how they'd keep going with their escape. Although the young angel had prepared for something like this and had walked around the exterior of Nightrise Castle with Medouco once before this happened, they hadn't been able to practice what to do. "T-they've got us hedged in with nowhere to go. T-they might spot us any moment now if we don't get away in time."

"I've already got it covered, Medouco," Macarona responded in a hushed tone only the demonic maid could hear as she picked up a stone near her left leg. Applying somatomantic energy into her hand so she could throw it at a greater distance than just several feet away, she eyed their surroundings and determined the best place to catch every guard's attention at once. Steel trash cans stood by the tables and benches in the central square and she decided that location could've been a good spot. Aiming for one next to a bench obscured by a couple large trees, she narrowed her eyes and squinted somewhat for a better view of her target before throwing the stone with such precision it was sure to reach its target and make a loud noise. "We'll take cover in the hedge maze next." There was a loud clanging sound, seizing the attention of all the guards nearby as she hoped. Although the knights by the gates heard it, they remained in place because the head knight signaled for them to stay where they were. Looking to the gunners up in the gazebo, he quietly signaled to them too with a silent order for them to be prepared to fire at a moment's notice. The two demons holding the searchlights looked as well and one of them even shined a light on the spot in question. With their attention directly on the spot, these six guards were now leaving their positions whereas the other crossbowman and the knights located at both gates resumed their duties and started talking amongst each other while the crossbowman just looked inside. When the head knight and the crossbowman above him were in a range where they couldn't see either of the fugitives, that was when the girls made a break for it. "Come on, let's go, Medouco," the angel said as they withdrew.

"B-but what about the remaining guards inside the hedge maze?" the demonic maid asked, worried they may have been patrolling nearby when she and Macarona already entered or had been on their way to investigate the noise.

"Oh, they'll be patrolling, alright," the angel commented, knowing that probably wasn't what Medouco had wanted to hear from her. "They'll not be investigating because the other guards are doing that, and I very much doubt they'd block off the hedge maze early on. Just stick close to the right wall and we'll do just fine. The demons up there in the gazebo won't see us and the others carrying those searchlights wouldn't think to look in here for us just yet. They do not know we've come in here and aren't expecting us to because they know we'll be ambushed by the guards here."

"B-but the ones here could reach through the hedges or shoot through them!" Medouco expressed her fear of that happening. It was certainly a legitimate concern because that was how they could've been killed in an ambush.

"Not if they don't know our precise location unless they can hear us," Macarona replied quietly as they began creeping through the hedge maze, taking a couple turns along the way as she told the Gorgon what to do. "Stay silent, Medouco, and pay attention for any footsteps besides our own that would indicate any guards are present. Besides, we might be able to make use of the fog now that it's beginning to approach our position." She was correct about that as that fog she observed before while in the castle was slowly advancing towards the back garden they were in. She had not noticed it at first until they ran to the hedge maze, but Macarona knew using it would've provided them an advantage. Unfortunately, that fog would've also been a double edged sword because the guards could use it too against them.

"T-They could probably use it too!" Medouco stated that obvious concern Macarona already considered.

"Yes, I know, hence why I said to listen for other footsteps," the angel stated, repeating the instruction and leading her friend down another corridor of hedges they snuck through after taking another turn. Taking one of the demonic maid's hands into one of her own, she gripped it tightly, but made sure her grasp was snug enough for the Gorgon so Medouco wouldn't feel any pain in that hand. Carefully sneaking forward and being wary of the hedges making up their surroundings, they came to several intersections with paths hidden off to lanes they couldn't see from where they originally came from unless peering around the walls of hedges for any guards. They saw at least three of them so far, all defenders patrolling specific sections of the hedge maze, leaving only the remaining two unaccounted for. However, they heard footsteps behind them as if one of those unseen guards caught their scent or spotted them while they've been sneaking. Searching for a safe place to perform a counter ambush of their own, Macarona led Medouco further into the hedge maze, taking several more turns and eventually reaching a point where they found another path obscured by hedges. The two of them remained silent as they walked, making the U-turn around to get behind this particular wall so they could wait. The young angel already checked for the three defenders they observed before and became relieved when they found they weren't nearby. "Stay by me, Medouco," the angelic grappler murmured and stood by the hedges, listening for the footsteps getting closer to their position as the occupant wondered where they went and why they stopped. "I'm going to reach through the hedges now to take this one out. Watch my back for the others."

Medouco was about to ask if she should've been placed at a better position where she could see the one guard a little better, but then thought against it and turned to face the alleys of two paths leaving them exposed to the others. Although she couldn't see what was happening, she definitely heard it. The one guard's footsteps closed in when she heard what sounded like rummaging through the hedge followed by muffled protests and cries for aid. Additionally she heard what sounded like a beating being dealt to this guard whose body was then lowered gently onto the ground. "Are you finished with him, Macarona?" Medouco asked, still not turning around even at the sound of rummaging. There wasn't much time before they got caught after getting lost in this hedge maze with a fog rolling over it. Still, Medouco remained patient with the angel since Macarona seemed to have everything under control so far. Even so, she did not receive an answer just yet and watched as the young angel stepped in front of her with a pair of binoculars in one hand.

"Yep, he's unconscious. I managed to acquire a few things from what he was carrying, though," Macarona answered honestly, not liking the fact she had to loot somebody for something useful. It was theft, basically; despite the fact they were enemies, it was still wrong to have done the deed after knocking the guard out. Thankfully said guard continued to breathe in his unconscious state which meant he wasn't dead, but the theft was still a crime. Granted, a situation like theirs necessitated anything in order to try escaping alive. Satanick and his forces struck first, so naturally taking stuff from them for the sole purpose of escaping to help save a world could've been considered fair play since guidelines and laws didn't really apply in a scenario like this. However, that didn't change the fact it was still wrong, though that would've depended in whose eyes were viewing the problem. The Gentleman Devil and his forces were definitely going to claim she'd have been attempting to escape not as a prisoner of war, but as a convicted felon while others who knew the whole story could've stated otherwise, saying she was just doing what she needed to survive. Granted, Satanick knew the whole story too and purposely tried to cover it up, adding to the fact he was very shady. Henceforth looting would've been considered acceptable by others who'd overlook it because it was done to escape so that Macarona's world could be saved from a sinister Devil who purposely committed crimes and sought to declare war on anyone in the way of fulfilling his desires. An additional ideal they'd consider too was that she'd help the hells too. "These binoculars will be helpful, though I cannot understand the language on the directions or on this odd canister."

"Let me take a look," the Gorgon offered to read over the directions for her, accepting the binoculars and the canister from Macarona to examine them when the angel handed them to her. While she was reading, Macarona kept a close watch on their surroundings, squinting to peer through the fog to stay alert for any further opposition from nearby guards. "Let's see here…" Medouco continued to murmur quietly until her head perked up in alarm. "The binoculars possess a couple advanced features like night vision and thermal vision, but this canister is a flashbang, Macarona! Why have you taken this from him? I-if it explodes we could get hurt or be blinded! W-We'll be too disorientated to run!"

"We should be fine if that pin inside doesn't get pulled out," the angel reasoned, understanding why it was referred to as a flashbang. She learned about them once in school and recalled how to use them. There was a lesson on weapons used in other worlds and flashbangs were mentioned as a means of support for militaries and guilds of mercenaries who could acquire them too. The teacher even managed to acquire a few flashbangs for the purpose of demonstrating what they could do besides showing the students what it looked like. He even volunteered to be the individual subjected to its effects so that the students wouldn't have to feel them; yet some of them did insist because it would've helped them understand the effects better. Macarona had been one of those students who—since Rawberry thought it'd have been funny to raise the angel's hand for her—became one of those voluntary test subjects. Of course, Macarona had actually been an unwilling participant even though she did go through with it anyway. Still, she knew exactly how flashbangs worked. It had happened before Ivlis invaded their world, but she could still recall the lesson. "There were actually a few on him, so I took them all for when we'd need them—if we need them, that is, for it won't hurt to be prepared for unnecessary skirmishes we might get involved in." Taking the flashbang back from Medouco to store it inside her backpack, the young angel held out another canister—this time a sphere-like object with protruding squares on it in addition to the pins. "And I suppose this one might be a frag grenade or something similar, correct?"

The demonic maid's eyes widened in horror and she stepped back away from her angelic friend in terror as Macarona was definitely correct in her assumption. "T-t-that's…" the Gorgon whispered fearfully, shivering since the thought of them dying in an explosion caused by the grenade blowing up terrified her. "Y-y-yes, b-b-but you should put that back, Macarona! W-w-what if it explodes by us?! Y-y-you should really get rid of it! I-i-it'll kill us both for sure!"

"Not if the powder is removed," came yet another remark from Macarona that, despite the logic within her statement, was actually bordering on insanity. Looking around for a safe place to dump it while she was trying to see where the grenade could be unscrewed into two pieces to pour out the explosive powder within, the angel eventually caught sight of an empty coffee can just littered on the ground underneath one of the hedge walls. Working with such deadly weapons like explosives was dangerous and wrong, and so was stealing by looting for that matter; littering, as much as it was something of an offense, was something of a crime too. Still, it was a petty offense and so was a minor crime unlike the more serious crimes of murder and theft. Even so, Macarona was grateful for the litter because the discarded coffee can was empty save for a few remains of grounded coffee beans. The guards or any groundskeepers might've dropped it and forgot about it, but it was sheer luck she found it lying here—maybe even divine providence. Eventually managing to unscrew the grenade without having to pull the pin, the young angel proceeded to carefully pour the powder into the container and did the same for a couple other frag grenades she pulled off the guard's unconscious body. "There…" she commented once her handiwork was done and quickly went to a nearby water fountain for any birds that liked to bathe in the water to wash her hands. Thankfully there were no birds around and she also pushed the fountain over to the side away from the hedges so that any birds that did come by wouldn't have bathed in explosive water. "That should nullify the grenades so that they won't explode," Macarona added, screwing them back together.

"P-please tell me you haven't found any more on him," Medouco begged, hoping the angel truly didn't.

"Unfortunately, Medouco, I'm afraid I have; I'm sorry for spooking you."

"O-oh, what is it this time, Macarona?" the maid inquired, afraid for their lives and exasperated by the find.

"Looks like another grenade, but one with a remote detonator," the angel said, holding it up for the Gorgon to view. "I guess this one might be a little safer than the other, and there's just a single one on this guy's body. There may perhaps be more on the others, though this does give me an idea, Medouco." Scrutinizing the remote grenade carefully, handling it so the thing wouldn't blow up in their faces and kill them, Macarona then looked around for a suitable spot where she could put it. "From the looks of it, this detonator could blow up the grenade from afar. If we place it in a safe location where it wouldn't hurt anybody, we could detonate it to cause a bit of damage. Property damage is a concern I will admit is wrong, though it can grab the guards' attention so we can slip away by going through the castle again."

"But where would we put it and how would we know when to detonate it?" Medouco asked, understanding Macarona's logic driving the suggestion. It was a dangerous idea, sure, but the only one applicable to their situation.

"I was thinking maybe we could take out the other four guards in this hedge maze first," the angelic girl said, explaining her thought process of the idea she had in mind. "Then we creep closer to the gazebo again where those other guards are. I'll throw the flashbang to blind them, but in case that doesn't work I'll also throw one of the empty frag grenades too. That should give them cause for concern because they'll believe it's filled with the explosive powder and explode, making them evacuate the gazebo when attention is drawn to where exactly the grenades are thrown from."

"Well, at least it won't kill them," the demonic maid breathed a sigh of relief at the thought of their safety. Still, she and Macarona wouldn't have been very safe as the plan was risky. "Though they could still locate and catch us."

"Except their attention will also be drawn by the remote grenades," Macarona pointed out.

"What, you mean we place any we find around the hedge maze in spots that'll draw their attention too?"

The angel nodded. "Yep, and it'll also damage the hedge maze by probably causing a fire. That'll concern the guards because they'd need to focus on putting the fire out before it spreads. We'd be free to enter Nightrise Castle to search for another route out, and if more guards find us we can always throw the empty frag grenades at them for a moment's respite that can buy us valuable time to keep fleeing. They'll think the grenades will explode when they shall not because they're completely empty, plus the flashbangs can also blind them too. These can really save our lives."

"I guess so," Medouco reluctantly agreed, only hesitant because it was still so dangerous and could've gotten somebody—them or the guards—killed. "Though if the fire draws their attention, how long will they focus on it?"

"Maybe long enough to try putting it out," Macarona responded, brushing locks of hair away from her face as another detail popped into her mind. "Plus they may also consider it to be an attack from outside around here, thereby possibly increasing the number of guards around here from other places in and out of the castle. They'll think someone else besides us could be involved in what happens here, and their suspicions will lead them to improve security. Ergo, considering how tightly guarded the castle is, it'll become a little safer for us to traverse when they're out here since everybody would need to figure out how to reassign which guards to what stations. Pulling guards away from some stations to defend this point would decrease how many we'd encounter because they'd need to keep at least a fairly reasonable amount at each station. However, the safety of one being compromised would ensure more are over here."

"Thus unbalancing the castle's defense by tipping the scales to one side," Medouco concluded since she was beginning to fully comprehend her friend's plan. "Yes, that could work, though there's still the risk of being found by guards along the way and they'd realize we went back inside the castle. Of course, we'd just have to worry about the guards inside because the ones out here would be too concerned with an outside assault." Having put a bent finger to her chin while shutting her eyes, the maid put more thought into their idea and how it'd have functioned for them. "They could demand reinforcements in theory even if they discovered it is just us because they must preserve this point from outside invaders who could likely take advantage of the situation. Then again, the other stations must be preserved too."

"Precisely," Macarona smiled and snapped her fingers, pointing a finger at the Gorgon while kneeling down beside one of the hedges away from the unconscious guard to put the remote grenade there, making sure it wasn't too close to him, but just hidden nearby for him to not notice how close it was. He wouldn't have because he would have believed they took the flashbangs and grenades from him and fled with them. "They'd be in a panic of sorts, worried about the threat of an attack on their doorstep from a potential threat that might or might not exist. Yet they'd need to prepare for one in the event such a threat towards them is present. The fire could help with that by drawing attention to their weakness in this form of their infrastructure. Citizens and guards in Zlienderstrom would believe Nightrise Castle's security has been compromised and guards could also be called in from there. This would, in theory, be an opportunity Zlienderstrom's Thieves' Guild wouldn't dare ignore because they can move in to take the town without opposition. When the authorities here at the castle see that they'll panic, knowing the threat is closer and could see the weakness."

"So in other words our situation is also their problem, at least more of one, anyway," the Gorgon added while Macarona was preparing to ambush another guard approaching from nearby, likely due to a change in patrol routes. Perhaps they somehow figured out one of their own wasn't responding somehow and needed to meet up, choosing to send one of their own out to search for the missing guard if they hadn't already split up to do so by forming two pairs.

"Pretty much," the angel whispered and listened intently for the loner's footsteps, determining it was one of the defenders from within the hedge maze—that or a knight who switched places with him. Whatever the case she had prepared herself for a counterattack and raised a finger to hush Medouco, ending their conversation since it would've probably got them caught. They needed to go back on the move, though had to deal with these guards first in order to draw attention to the hedge maze by contributing their unconscious forms to the equation that was their escape. The remaining guards would've also focused on getting these guys out to save their lives. Their deaths, whether by flames or murder—whether it was the damage Macarona and Medouco caused or the other guards simply abandoning them—wouldn't have helped. Even if these guys were expendable, the point of defending this station from outside threats necessitated their survival because without the unconscious guards, the castle would've lost a bit of manpower even if however many they lost at first consisted of just five guys. That too would've contributed to the loss of manpower at several other stations in and out of Nightrise Castle and maybe Zlienderstrom as well if more guards were called in to provide further defensive support. Alive the five guards inside the hedge maze were still useful; saving them helped.

Keeping silent as the demonic maid quietly hurried to her side instead of keeping her distance from the hedge, Macarona waited until the footsteps made heavy by the defender's heavy armor came closer. She didn't hear more, acknowledging that the other stealthy guard might've been hiding his footsteps whereas the other defenders weren't nearby. That was good, meaning she'd only have to take out the one defender if he was alone along with that sneaky guard if the other was indeed present, thereby proving the assumption that the four conscious guards were in separate pairs. The footsteps were closing in, the guard getting ever so closer as Macarona looked down at the one lying below, directly at her and Medouco's feet, and worrying that he'd have regained consciousness momentarily besides putting thought into how close the unconscious man was to the corner where the defender could've seen him. If the defender caught sight, either he would've fallen into the trap of being ambushed or he'd have acknowledged the ambush and assumed a cautious approach. Either way his proximity, how close he actually was, wouldn't have made it matter as Macarona could've rushed out now to surprise him if he was off guard; even if he wasn't, she'd still try to subdue him. Tension rose as he took another step closer before exploding as she pounced, the eruption of her emergence startling her prey somewhat because he hadn't expected the angel to attack so soon even though he was prepared for the assault.

Raising a pair of tower shields up to defend himself from any blows she might've landed upon him, he smirked victoriously because he expected her to do just that. Apparently she did and he tried shoving her forward by bashing the angel with both tower shields, though his smirk vanished immediately when he realized her blow had just been a feint. Having slammed an arm into the right shield he carried, Macarona quickly rushed behind the demon to attack his flank where he was weakest. Although the defender was clad in heavy armor, the young angelic combatant nevertheless successfully circled around him to leap up and seize his head. Despite the fact she couldn't yank him down because of how heavy he was due to the combined weight of himself, the armor, and both shields, Macarona knew there was a solitary direction he could fall in: forward. By adding her own weight to the equation, the bear of a defender couldn't effectively balance himself because the weight of himself and his armor should've counterbalanced the shields' weight. Falling forward exactly as she planned, the angel ripped the helmet off with enough somatomantic force to attack.

Dealing a few blows to his head to knock the defender out, Macarona breathed deeply to recover some stamina used up by the attack when she heard a faint cry nearby from Medouco. Leaping to her feet and into action the angel sprang in battle again, charging the assassin who attempted to backstab the poor Gorgon. Luckily the maid heard him rushing for her and whirled in fright to try blocking with the healing staff. His eyes were on her as the daggers he duel wielded came up, making contact with the staff just in the nick of time for Medouco to avoid being stabbed even as she suddenly tripped over the first unconscious guard and fell back. Though Medouco was within his vision, the assassin could make out the angelic grappler in the backdrop just behind the poor demonic maid he was attempting to kill not just to end her life, but also to get to the angel. Upon seeing her block and fall, the assassin made an attempt to kick her aside by whirling around like a tornado. He did not see Macarona charging him because of this, however, for his view wasn't on her in the split second she rushed forward past the Gorgon. Seizing his leg in one hand while catching Medouco in the other, the young angel pulled him off balance too so she could deliver a hard punch to his chest before whirling to elbow him in the face once he regained his footing. Staggered by the blow, he was unable to prevent her from strafing front and center with more punches to the stomach followed by a sharp knee being brought up into his chin when he lurched forward. Again, his opponent whirled to deal a sharp kick to the chin as well which sent him flying in the air; though Macarona wasn't finished yet. She rushed forward and leapt up, grabbing the assassin's body as his daggers fell from his grasp to punch his back and seize it in one hand with the other on his stomach to drive him into the ground below.

The assassin coughed a bit, exhausted from the blows he received from an opponent he underestimated. Only a bit of blood was mixed in, but his breathing indicated he was still alive. Other than that, Macarona had been careful not to hurt him too badly to avoid leaving him on the verge of death. "T-the hell…?" he murmured weakly. "W-what kind of angel are you?" he asked despite already being familiar with the fact she was Rigatona's reincarnated descendent as he and all the other guards had been briefed on who she was in addition to knowing the rumors about this young angel. However, his question went unanswered as Macarona quickly stomped on his face to knock the assassin unconscious. Although it would've been polite to answer his inquiry before or after doing so, she felt he already knew the answer.

Breathing deeply to recover her stamina, shivering somewhat because of the adrenaline rushing through her veins, the angelic girl calmed herself down for a few moments while Medouco approached. "U-um, are you okay, Macarona?" she asked, concerned her friend had gone just a bit too far in wounding the demonic assassin. "Thanks for saving me, by the way, though maybe that was a bit too excessive." Though blunt, she didn't know how else to say it.

"Perhaps," Macarona agreed because she obviously didn't want to argue the point or lose her temper with the Gorgon she called her friend, knowing Medouco had a point. "Still, he's still alive, albeit unconscious. Besides, I had to match his skill since he's obviously an assassin in order to effectively go toe to toe with him. Thankfully that moment he wasn't looking gave me the advantage over him." Finally settled down from the fight, her adrenaline calming down, Macarona quickly searched the two unconscious bodies for any more grenades and flashbangs they could've utilized. Luckily she found only a single remote grenade with a detonator and two additional flashbangs on the assassin, but the defender carried nothing on his person. That was enough for her as she took Medouco's hand to rush towards another location within the hedge maze after collecting the assassin's daggers too since she could throw those as projectiles too. Thankfully nobody was around so she was able to place the remote grenade under another hedge like the first one before they hurried to another part of the hedge maze where they found some creates stacked next to a pillar at an area by a small garden patch. A lone bench was across from this, next to another fountain beside a trash can for garbage and a skinny tamarack tree that towered above them to map this landmark of the maze. Whoever traversed the hedge maze would've surely found this serene spot where they could cool off from finding their way around it in the shade of the tamarack. Just on the other side of the hedge wall by it, the two girls heard voices coming from the remaining two demonic guards.

"Hey, you think those guys found him yet?" one asked, wondering if the other pair found their comrade.

"I don't know, maybe," the other defender remarked. "They could've found him if he hadn't gotten lost."

"What if they were all taken out by the prisoner and that traitor? You think that's possible?" the first inquired.

"Maybe by the angel if she caught them unprepared and off guard, but I doubt the traitor would. She's just a maid, one who knows powerful healing spells, sure, but possesses no combat experience like we do. That one's not a complete threat as the angel is, so we should really focus our efforts more on the angel since she's the viable threat."

Their logic, despite making total sense, made Medouco feel a little upset about being that useless in battle, but a smile from Macarona felt reassuring to her. "Don't worry, Medouco, you're far more valuable in battle than they may realize," she said to cheer the demonic maid up even if alluding to placing the Gorgon in combat scared the poor girl.

Nonetheless it brought a small smile to the maid's face regardless because she appreciated how invaluable she really was. "O-oh, t-thank you, Macarona," Medouco whispered out of embarrassment despite being grateful to her. "Anyway, how should we handle these two? It looks like a head on attack will be off limits unless it's from above."

Examining the hedge wall and quietly walking both ways to examine it, the young angel listened intently for footsteps from the two defenders. There were none indicating they had stopped, possibly because they heard the girls running or speaking. From the looks of the maze's layout in this part, the defenders were standing in an aisle that went in only two directions along a straight line. Considering her options, she first thought about climbing the tree to descend before attacking. A sneak attack like that could've worked, except there were two problems: one, the direction the defenders were facing being both ways so that one of them could've likely seen her; and two, if she dropped down in between the pair they could've turned to box her in and attack. That would've been disadvantageous and dangerous because Macarona might not have fared too well against two defenders on either side with large shields meant for a defensive maneuver despite being applicable with offensive capabilities. Next was her other option: the idea of taking them head on from one direction which could've been harder as the one behind could've backed up the other while calling for additional reinforcements since Macarona would've been found. Medouco could've gotten away, though probably could've been caught at some point. Additionally, the angel would've only had to fight one at a time in that chokepoint; however, the risks she already calculated were heavier than those benefits which made that idea illogical. Trying to draw them into an ambush was also foolish too because they still could've summoned for the reinforcements.

Yet she found there was a way to implement the first idea of an aerial attack from above with the binoculars, making it a legitimate course of action provided it worked in their favor. To do so, it had to be combined with a head-on assault. Thinking about the fog and looking up at the tree, Macarona noticed it was covered by enough thin leaves on its branches to prevent the gunners over in the gazebo from seeing anybody. However, taking the binoculars and how they had night vision and thermal vision into consideration meant those features could've been a problem. Yet they were binoculars that needed to be raised manually by hand to the eyes in order to view anyone or anything from afar with those features. Therefore it was possible the gunners hadn't raised their binoculars yet or were looking this way with them. Using the set she retrieved from the first guard she knocked unconscious, Macarona went over to the wall opposite where she and Medouco heard the defenders talking. Brushing aside some leaves and also branches of the wall, she peered through with the binoculars in search of the gazebo and found it was not too far off, though blocked by some other trees that inhibited their vision of this particular spot. Her idea seemed only slightly safe, though still applicable all the same even if the risk she considered made it dangerous. "Hey, Medouco, I have an idea," Macarona murmured quietly as she turned to the Gorgon once her examination was complete. "Let's take both fronts; I'll drop down and you can distract them."

"Both fronts?" the demonic maid whispered somewhat apprehensively since she felt like she knew what the angelic girl was going to suggest. It might've been a good idea, but she still felt insecure about the danger. "You mean attacking from both sides when facing those guys on the other side, right?" Medouco would have inquired if it would have been safer luring them to another area where they could separate the defenders, but realized they'd have likely summoned for reinforcements if that plan went south. She thought she had to help Macarona fight the other demons which the angel nodded to confirm as Medouco asked another question. "But how are we going to approach them? They're probably facing in opposite directions and could look up if you approach from above by climbing the tree."

"True, I'll be the one scaling it, Medouco," the young angel stated to clarify the detail even while the demonic maid realized what her angelic companion meant by that comment. "That's where you come in, Medouco. You must distract them from one side by drawing their attention so I can slip below behind both of them to attack the flank of whichever one's in the back. That should surprise them and get the first down quickly, then I'll take out the second." Smiling confidently to reassure her friend it would've been okay, Macarona stepped forward to place a hand on the Gorgon's shoulder. "It'll be fine, Medouco, it'll work. Just trust me and we'll get out of this unscathed and undetected."

Although she didn't really like it, the maid felt there weren't any options left. She did trust the young angel, believing Macarona had everything under control in light of the risks they had to take. "Okay, but when will we start?"

"Right now, as a matter of fact, though I'll need to find you with the binoculars first before throwing them to you," Macarona explained her plan as she went over to begin scaling the tree as stealthily as possible without making much noise. "Once you have them I'll signal for you to move in with a wave. Try to get their attention on you in some way that'll definitely secure my cue to drop down safely and quietly with them unaware of my presence behind them."

In spite of being placed in danger for this plan, Medouco knew it would've only worked if she complied to working together in tangent with Macarona. "V-very well," she murmured nervously and headed for the left to divert the defender's attention to that direction. "I-if that's all you require of me for this, I-I'll do my very best, Macarona."

The angel nodded, already nearly halfway up without responding verbally because the maid was out of sight. Once she finally reached the top and selected a sturdy branch on which to stand, she held onto a second branch and glanced through the binoculars to find her friend already in position, having made a small hole in the hedge wall for waving her hand without putting it through the hole to alert the guards. Smiling and throwing the binoculars over to Medouco, Macarona narrowed her eyes in determination once she believed the Gorgon caught it. With a wave of her own hand, the angel signaled for Medouco to reveal herself which worked in their favor as expected. "Hey, there's that maid," the defender in front commented to get the other's attention, thereby putting their eyes on the Gorgon staring directly back at them through the fog from where she was. A frown of pusillanimous determination adorned her face when Medouco leapt out with her healing staff at the ready as if she was to use it as a weapon. Breathing deeply and watching as the first defender stepped forward, she and he suddenly heard what sounded like armor falling onto the ground behind him. Apparently Macarona had purposely landed on him with both feet slamming into his helmed head, knocking the second guard unconscious before darting behind the first to elbow him in the back of the head. Luckily he turned in the opposite direction of her, never seeing her run around the left when he turned right. Though he was not knocked unconscious, he had dropped his tower shields which landed on the unconscious demon with a slight clang. While that might've drawn attention, the sound wasn't so loud and Macarona was able to pull the defender back for dealing a karate chop to his face after ripping the helmet off to knock this one unconscious too. Satisfied, Macarona stepped away to examine her handiwork while the demonic maid breathed a sigh of relief now that it was all over.

"M-my, t-that actually turned out well," Medouco commented while the young angel turned and smiled.

"Yeah, but we're still not out of the woods just yet, Medouco," Macarona said, looting the unconscious guards for anything useful. Finding nothing, she led Medouco back around the hedges to where their plan originally began.

"S-so, what now, Macarona? Are you going to follow through on the plan you concocted?"

"Indeed, let me just reexamine the distance from here to the gazebo…" the other girl replied and raised the binoculars after making another hole in the hedge for her to look through. Checking to make sure the distance was far enough for at least one flashbang coupled with an empty frag grenade to sour through the air and land in the gazebo, Macarona stepped back and pulled the detonators for the remote grenades out of her backpack. Handing them to the demonic maid behind her, she then removed a flashbang with an empty frag grenade. Taking a deep breath, shutting her eyes to concentrate for a few moments, Macarona's eyes jolted wide open as she raised both up to her mouth to yank the pins out with her teeth. Spitting them out, the angel threw the projectiles as hard as she could to make both land right on target and knew she was successful when she heard the gunners over in the gazebo shouting out warnings about the grenade and that flashbang. Only the flashbang exploded, possibly blinding anyone looking at the gazebo as everybody else entered a panic. Hearing her accomplishment end on a positive note, she turned to look at Medouco. "Excellent, we've got our opening now, Medouco," Macarona commented and hurried to the crates to climb up with the maid following suit. The two of them couldn't see much of what was going on, but the angel used the thermal vision of the binoculars to make out where the guards were going. Their enemies were obviously in a panic, the knights remaining directly in front of their gates to defend both points while the head knight barked orders for the gunners to look around.

"Is it safe?" the Gorgon inquired, joining her friend atop the pillar and hopping down outside the hedge maze with her. "I-I think they might be coming this way, Macarona. S-should I press these buttons now, or wait a moment?"

"Now should be fine," the angel replied, hearing her companion follow the instruction which was followed by two explosions in the hedge maze going off in unison. That obviously drew the guards' attention as the head knight ordered for everybody to move there at once to secure the weakened point. That included all gate guards and the two demons with searchlights. Although demons on the other side and within the castle itself heard the noise and looked at what had happened from the tower battlements above the gates and through windows, they were told to stay put as nobody else was instructed to assist. Yet this order was denied anyway due to the fear of the fires caused spreading outward from the hedge maze as demons rushed to find buckets of water and hoses to put out the fire and guard this station with their lives. Additionally was the concern it was an attack from outside the castle from dire threats. Nobody noticed a pair of girls using the chaos to their advantage to sneak inside, too worried about the chaos to stop them.

…

 **A bit of a shorter chapter than the last one this time since I'm planning on covering at least one more stealth section in this story. After that might be the final boss fight I've got set up for this story and then closing chapters including the epilogue. I'm hoping to get this story done soon so I can move onto my next fanfiction project. While developing this story, I got a couple ideas for one-shots I'd like to do before tackling that project. However, there are also things in real life coming up that have to be done, but hopefully I can keep writing.**

 **Like with firearms included in this story and the inclusion of the gunner class from the Etrian Odyssey series, I am including explosives as well. However, I'm not advocating for using them in real life because they're dangerous weapons. The only reason why I'm incorporating them into this story and any others is to construct a non-canon roleplaying feel for the Mogeko universe as a way of trying to flesh it out with non-canon details. As explosives have been used in other roleplaying games like the Fallout series, I felt it'd be necessary to include explosives too alongside firearms. Not all of the worlds in the Mogeko universe shall use them in my non-canon fanfiction because it's something that will only be found and used in a select few, but it's present for roleplaying.**

 **The whispers mentioned in this chapter, but not included, are inspired by the class from Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn. It is the promotion of the Rogue class and use knives as their primary weapons. Additionally, whispers can do what similar classes from the series—thieves, rogues, and assassins—do by stealing items from enemy units and they can pick locks too. It'll be one of the classes I'm incorporating into my non-canon RPG elements for the Mogeko universe, though I'm planning on making it a lot different than in Fire Emblem.**

 **The tamarack is also known as the American Larch. It's a conifer that is found throughout much of North America from states like Alaska and Pennsylvania and countries like Canada respectively. It can develop in pretty much any kind of conditions such as sub-Arctic temperatures and in swampy terrain. These details are from National Geographic's Field Guide to the Trees of North America which covers specific details on trees.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Fire Emblem series; it's owned by Intelligent Systems and Nintendo SPD. I do not own the Field Guide to the Trees of North America as it is owned by National Geographic. I do not own the Fallout series; it's owned by Bethesda.**


	28. Chapter Twenty-Eight: Miraculous Escape

The small explosions from out back sent everyone on edge the moment they went off, leading to the conclusion that the force which attacked the Magnus District must've somehow been involved. To many that was a reality they accepted and tried to avoid by beefing security outside the castle as best they could. They were not given instructions of any sort, the panic from outside being the sole driving force behind their taking initiative for defense. However, few could comprehend beyond the scope of what was actually the problem and how it would've affected them. Anten was one of those demons who could and it pissed him off to no end knowing Macarona's actions had established a chain reaction within the castle that would've severely weakened its interior defenses. He had heard the explosions too and demanded to know what had just happened when a subordinate ran in out of breath to inform the demonic assassin that somebody had detonated explosives in the hedge maze out back and a fire began to spread. A couple of remote grenades it had been from the radius of each explosion and how high the sudden rise of instantaneous flames was. The lingering remains of those flames set the hedge maze ablaze, causing another explosion when they reached what might've been another grenade or explosive powder from one. It was a wildfire just waiting to erupt further, a volcanic explosion of sheer panic and discord.

And yet in the chaos of that wildfire, nobody knew exactly what was going on. How those explosions went off was a mystery as was the fire that continued to spread. The most obvious answer was that an outside party attacked, somehow sneaking into the backyard and knocking out five trained guards before setting about their work. Maybe those explosions came from the grenades on the bodies of those unconscious guards who were now likely conscious again. What drew suspicion towards that idea was the fact a flashbang and a frag grenade were thrown from inside the hedge maze. At this time it wasn't clear if the latter went off when the former did, though reports seemed to indicate it hadn't exploded because the gazebo still stood from what Anten was hearing. As he was standing by the windows presenting the state of the backyard to him, the demonic man scowled angrily since he knew what this meant: castle guards from inside would have to be reassigned outside to defend exterior stations from an outside threat. Many did not really know exactly who the outside threat truly was, but attributed it to the force that claimed the Magnus District. Anten, however, guessed otherwise because nobody had seen Macarona and Medouco since this fiasco first began. Wherever they were, they would've been found soon since they were most likely still on the property somewhere. They were the true perpetrators.

"You damn angel…" he hissed under his breath, hating the young angel for everything she did to displease everybody who worked for the Gentleman Devil—and Satanick, said Devil himself. "This is all your fault." Granted, they'd been the ones who wanted to start this war against the Gray Garden where Macarona was from, and they've continued to work alongside Warwick in secret which was against the laws GriRea constructed via legislation. They might've been in the wrong for starting everything in the first place, but as antagonists they were free to lay blame by faulting whoever was putting a stop to their plans. And the demons under Satanick needed to help their leader ensure everything went without a hitch by fulfilling his orders straight to the letter. If they failed, they were ended, and that damned angel was only making things worse for them by not surrendering and allowing herself to be caught and then subsequently executed in a quick fashion so that they could hopefully try and cover their tracks before GriRea found out.

"S-sir, we've got the exterior perimeter secure," a nightblade came up to him with that quick report.

"And just how many were assigned outside?" Anten inquired for an additional detail badly required.

"About half from each interior squad had gone out, sir. We believed that much was necessary for security."

The demonic assassin sighed. "Fine, I'd have sent ten per unit, but oh well. All inside units be vigilant."

The nightblade nodded and saluted him. "Yes, sir," he responded before hurrying off to pass along the order, leaving Anten alone to ponder just what the hell had gone wrong and how they could've gotten out of this dire situation.

The demonic assassin just stood there, lost in thought while thinking of the next plan of action when an idea occurred to him. He smiled viciously, cracking his knuckles as he knew just how to achieve it. A gunner who'd been walking along towards him from the control center noticed he seemed to have a plan prepared. "Mr. Anten, it appears we'll need to rethink our strategy," he suggested, speaking up as Anten turned to look at him. "We've got a problem regarding troop movements at stationary positions and patrol routes. Since half of each unit has been reassigned to the exterior points, both interior stationary and patrol units have dwindled in terms of the interior's defense. Choke points required to ensure the fugitives are captured and promptly executed on sight are significantly weaker now; only few remain guarded whereas patrols are spread too thin with about one or two guards on average. What should we do?"

The veteran smirked, already having a plan in mind. "Leave it be for now," he ordered, leaning against the wall behind him. "Although do make sure the guards are all near one another. Tell me, you do know the passcode for our Devil's personal eyes inside the castle, right? We could certainly use those to our advantage if we just happen to know it."

His question garnered a raised eyebrow from the gunner. "Aren't those reserved for him and Mr. Yagi?"

"Only them, yes, but for now we'll make an exception; considering the circumstances, they won't mind."

This time he would get back at Macarona for sure.

…

"Times like this I'd wish things were under control. Little work, not much to do, job's simple to get done."

"Pay attention and stay alert," the janissary by his side commented, gazing at the walls decorated by portraits, tapestries, and display cases of relics next to tables on which pots of flowers and vases rested. Every so often they had sauntered by a few doors leading to private cells, a lounge area located behind them where a warrior was commanding the forces in this part of Nightrise Castle. They'd just left him as a matter of fact, reporting in regarding what they'd seen and heard—nothing so far. Now they were back on patrol. "I want eyes and ears open. We cannot afford to let them escape."

"You the one calling the shots?" the gunner joked with a chuckle and turned to find the janissary scowling. Raising a hand defensively while turning away, he added, "Was only a joke; damn, you're uptight. Lighten up for a bit."

"Says the man who's already taking it easy about getting shot by some rogue prisoner and traitor team," the janissary retorted coldly and motioned for the gunner to stop and take the corner of his side of the corridor to observe whatever suspicious movement lurked around each corner. The janissary did the same, a short rifle in one hand and a mace in the other as he peeked around the corner opposite him. His gunner companion did the same, looking down the janissary's corner with an assault rifle at the ready for any threats down there. "I asked for a partner who'd take this seriously, not some laid back lout who's always snoozing in the damn breakroom instead of doing his only job properly."

"When you serve a Devil who knows how to get things done with the right people at the right time, you too would see how beneficial a good shuteye is. Why, I never have to worry since all I've got to do is shoot the gun off at whoever he has me execute. Just place the condemned party in front and I can work even while in bed snoozing at work."

"Giving new meaning to 'sleeping on the job' and 'blind fire,' I bet," his peer fired shots, checking over every detail he saw down the corridor. Nothing suspicious so far aside from an open door at the end of the corridor, but he was thinking another guard opened that door. It wouldn't have hurt to check and close it so nobody suspicious came in; if so, they'd be ready to blow the intruder's brains out once they heard even the slightest crack of it open. "Some executioner you are if all you dream about is whatever goes on in your lazy brain while convicts walk right by without giving any shits about getting caught or not if you're on duty. You'd better start keeping your eyes open to the world to stay employed."

"I do—my own. This whole bloody lockdown and the hunt for two measly girls is just an inconvenience," the gunner replied, obviously putting his own two cents in by blatantly saying his thoughts instead of even thinking them, paying anyway because those two cents were cheap. Even so, he still didn't even give a shit about it. "Same applies to aiming; looking through some scope is nothing more than an inconvenience too. Just spray and pray you'll hit someone."

"Your philosophy of spraying and praying is an inconvenience, jackass," the other retorted again. "Why don't you try actually raising the weapon to fire? You can see more when you look down the sights through the scope instead of wasting ammo on everyone and everything in sight. Friendly fire exists for a reason, dumbass. If you're so bothered by such an inconvenience, why don't you make yourself useful by doing a simple task for stupid idiots? Go look through that door and see if anyone suspicious is there or if suspicious activity is afoot, then close it instead of shooting the gun off like the crazed madman you are. I'd rather get this done efficiently than waste time arguing over your illogical stupidity, idiot."

"If you're so worried about it, why don't you go check and close it," the other demon chuckled. "And you certainly can see more when you're not looking down the sights through the scope of that lousy stick you call a rifle."

The janissary merely sighed, throwing his arms up somewhat in exasperation for arguing with this idiot was tiresome and irritating. He would've done anything to get away from this guy so he could think clearly. He wanted a different partner, but no—he was stuck with this sorry excuse for a guard. "Fine," he caved easily instead of arguing further because they'd have been there all day complaining to one another about one another. Maybe they would've remained here doing just that even longer, perhaps not even seeing any action or being so distracted by the argument they'd have not seen their targets slip right by them. At the rate it would've gone, the targets could've simply strolled up and walked right by the two of them without a care in the world because they'd have seen the conflict and avoided it whether through other parts of the castle or out in the open by passing through the corridor ahead of them. They wouldn't have gotten involved in the petty dispute regardless of whoever they sided with: the janissary or the gunner. Perhaps choosing a side could've caused conflict among the targets as well if they selected two different sides of the debate. However, the two demons wouldn't have received credit for killing the targets even if that did draw attention from anybody else nearby under the same orders because they were arguing and not doing their job. The janissary clearly wanted to do his and be a good soldier, but he wouldn't stop the gunner from misbehaving since it wasn't his problem. Technically it might've been because they were partners, though the janissary voiced concerns about that vehemently. Unfortunately, those concerns, while being considered, were still not enough to prevent them from being partners for however long this lockdown lasted. "You want to go on ahead, go right ahead and be my guest. I'll do all the work for us."

"There, that wasn't so hard to admit now, was it?" the gunner laughed and simply walked away in the other direction opposite from the open door. "Just don't slam the door in your own face if you find nothing's actually there."

"You'll be finding nothing there for you once this is over…" the other demon growled, storming to the door.

"Yeah, I won't because I'm not the one walking there," his partner laughed again and continued patrolling the corridor. He enjoyed their banter while it lasted, hoping the janissary wouldn't have caught up to him after checking the open doorway. Although it was fun to tease the other guy, the gunner had begun to get bored of bothering him and wanted somebody else to taunt because that guy was no fun. A serious workaholic that one, that was the janissary's type. The gunner might not have been too much of a professional guard himself, but in his defense on the point regarding whatever he did around here, there wasn't much to do. Guards were only required to, well, guard the place. The kind of action that would've made this an exciting career to the gunner would've only been found on the battlefield or on a mission like the ones Satanick's personal assassins went on. That sort of adrenaline rush was exactly what he wanted, dreaming of a time when he could be useful and really shine in those scenarios. As it was, he was just assigned to the guard duty and nothing more, so it was only natural for him to be slouching on the job because there wasn't much to actually do around the castle because nobody ever attacked it and nobody ever tried to escape. Though their targets demonstrated the opposite in the case of the latter, he figured somebody else would've located them by now or later. A sudden noise from behind him drew his attention to snap the demonic man out of his thoughts as he turned to glance towards the open door that was now closed. "What, don't tell me you slammed the door in my face and kicked me out," he joked, calling out to his partner whom he guessed had gotten tired of this shit and joined a different patrol unit instead.

A thought occurred to him and he smiled, raising the assault rifle to aim at the door from the hip. It occurred to him that maybe he'd be lucky and actually hit something. The angel and demonic maid they were hunting certainly would've fulfilled that parameter, though the gunner imagined the janissary would've been pissed if he got shot and survived. That wouldn't have been good for either of them; the janissary would've needed to get medical attention whereas the gunner would've been dishonorably discharged. For a moment he weighed that consequence to consider every ramification: he'd be rewarded handsomely for killing the targets, or be punished for friendly fire. Then again, another factor he considered was whether the janissary would've lived or not in which case if he did die the gunner would've simply lied about the angel and the maid stealing the assault rifle from him during a skirmish to kill the other demon. However, anybody else nearby would've heard the shots fired to find him going rogue too somewhat. Plus, there'd be a lot of complaining from the janissary for having been shot if he lived which would have been funny as hell.

With a smile on his face as he lowered the assault rifle and started walking over, the gunner simply laughed while thinking of how funny it would've been to startle the janissary at the risk of getting shot which was worth it. A terrible idea because of that risk, but still an idea all the same so long as it provided entertainment value to keep him from getting bored. Without saying a word he strolled over quietly, making nary a sound aside from footsteps that might've given him away. In moments he was at the door, raising an arm up to grasp the doorknob in one hand and turn it slowly when the door was suddenly violently pushed into him to jar him before the collar of his uniform was seized by a hand which yanked him into a drawing room decorated by portraits and tapestries on the walls with bookshelves standing against one wall and various chairs and two couches arrayed by a great fireplace next to a door on the opposite side of a desk. Thrown onto the desk which was cleared off so anything that had been on it wouldn't have been smashed, he slid across it and landed on the floor in a slight daze due to being hit directly in the face with the door. A few moments later he tried to stagger to his feet when something else smashed into the back of his head to knock the demonic man unconscious.

Removing the magazine clip from the assault rifle he dropped and checking to make sure it was not loaded, Macarona took a hammer Medouco found in the storage room they passed through to smash the trigger so it wouldn't shoot. Putting it back in her backpack, the young angel turned to find the Gorgon watching the unconscious forms of seven guards they encountered on their way here. The janissary and gunner added made nine, thereby decreasing the defense of this wing by a bit and providing a larger opening for them to get through the area without much trouble. Checking to make sure both doors were locked with the skeleton key, Macarona removed some rope they also found within the garage to check how much was left. Only enough was present for the first four, so there wasn't enough left enabling any of the five guards whose hands and feet weren't tied to fight again if they regained consciousness. Their weapons were broken, however, and their bodies had been looted for anything useful to luckily nullify that concern. Unfortunately, the girls weren't out of the woods just yet since somebody was bound to notice these guards missing. Nonetheless, they had a bit of time to do some searching inside this room which was why the angel decided to focus on the desk before they headed out. With the skeleton key in hand, she turned it inside the lock to unlock the drawers.

"Is there something in there we can use to incapacitate the rest of these guards, Macarona?" Medouco asked, familiar with their location even if she hadn't been in this part of the castle that much. "This is the castle's prison, so it shouldn't be too hard locating hand cuffs in the warden's office of all places." Her inquiry was met with an approved answer for there were several pairs in one drawer which her angelic companion got out and tossed to the Gorgon. As Medouco knew what to do with them without instructions from Macarona, she quickly set about the task of placing the remaining unconscious guards in the hand cuffs to restrain their movements with their hands to lower the threat level.

"If it's the prison we should be able to find a register logging all the prisoner's in this section," Macarona said, eventually locating what she was looking for in one of the side drawers after checking a few others already. Poring over the log entries, she found what were likely several names listed and which rooms they were found in. The angelic girl never figured a prison like this would've been on this floor of the castle, though guessed if it was it would've been for prisoners with high rankings of social statuses in civilization. Proper accommodations for the wealthiest of convicts to grace these halls, perhaps, though not entirely unusual in her mind now that she thought about it. This was a definite distinction between this wing and a dungeon that might've been located deeper below the main floor where regular prisoners might've gone to reside with more dangerous convicts. Either way, she had an idea. "If we can get aid from some prisoners who might be willing to join us or start a riot, that'll make our escape from this castle that much easier."

"I beg your pardon, Macarona, though I must say that it won't work," the demonic maid explained. "While wealthy prisoners are stored up here whereas dangerous ones are held in the dungeons, under such circumstances as ours they'd not be available to assist if they wished. Under employee regulations of those who're assigned as prison guards, lockdowns are occasions when all prisoners, regardless of their wealth and status, must be executed pronto to prevent incidents from causing damage and disruption. You were once a prisoner in this very sector yourself, so we may pass directly by your old cell where you resided until Mr. Glasses helped secure those privileges you've requested. Still, as much as it sounds like a good idea, we cannot deny the possibility any surviving prisoners would've curried favor by ratting you out to the authorities which wouldn't be good. Although I do understand your logic, I must disagree with it."

"It's fine, I understand," Macarona responded with a smile as she took the two keyrings she found within a fourth drawer. There were a lot of papers inside as well, though the young angel figured reading everything was not necessary at this point because it would've held them back even if they skimmed it quickly. All she needed were the keyrings in case they needed to get into one of the rooms to hide from other guards if the skeleton key didn't work. "Medouco could you read the inscriptions on these keyrings so we can know which set is which from one another?" Macarona added and handed the rings to the maid so Medouco could squint at the writing to read what the keyrings said.

"Let's see…" the Gorgon murmured, reading over the tiny words as best she could to determine what keys could've been used for specific doors. Holding one in her right hand and the other in her left, she scrutinized the rings carefully before finally giving the answer by starting with the ones in her left hand and ending with the right. "These unlock the apartment doors—prison cells if we are to use the proper terminology as this wing is a prison for any upper class citizens and the like. The others are for more specific rooms: the repository where more records of prisoners are stored; the dining hall where they eat; then you've got a parlor where prisoners go for leisure time; a gymnasium they could exercise in; along with an art gallery of sorts. Each prisoner would be accompanied by an escort of three guards who'd bring them to and from their cells to these other rooms before leaving them. The special rooms this keyring can unlock are normally well guarded by ten guards each, adding up to a total of fifty guards not part of stationary units alongside the patrols that guard the corridors. Under the circumstances of our current predicament, some of the rooms might be unoccupied or barely defended now that what we caused out in the hedge maze has drawn some attention." Medouco shut her eyes and breathed deeply after going over all of that. She wondered if she should've added what Macarona probably wanted to hear as the angel was situated in one of the cells at first, though believed Macarona may have figured it out by now. Still, it was best to be honest. "You too might've been allowed access to these rooms, but unfortunately I don't think Mr. Satanick or anyone else would've allowed it, Macarona. You are an angel, after all, somebody who isn't part of what they consider upper class despite being the reincarnated descendant of Rigatona herself."

Macarona smiled, not bothered by that problem at all. "It's alright, Medouco," she commented to inform the demonic maid she didn't mind. "Thanks to Glasses I was able to negotiate with his father through him for the special privileges the upper class prisoners likely could've dreamed of if they weren't given the same privileges I have received."

"Well, to be fair there are occasions when prisoners do request that," Medouco stated to clarify the detail. "I know they have to fill out forms in order to try and receive more time out of their cells and away from this wing. Not many are accepted, but only few make it through the guards to the Gentleman Devil himself since he alone determines which prisoners can have those privileges. When he does grant them, he always orders fifteen guards to accompany whoever among the prisoners was rewarded. Of course, he does this in exchange for something valuable they provide. Anybody else who has nothing to give won't benefit, but I've heard sometimes there are rare occurrences when they receive the privileges without giving anything because Mr. Satanick wants them assassinated to cover something up or prepare room for other prisoners. These few never return to the castle from what I know, being slain in secluded areas."

"Meaning he could place blame on monsters, criminals, or somebody completely innocent if he wanted to if they were found or if he allowed the deceased to be located for that very purpose," the angelic girl deduced, heading towards the door leading to that corridor those two guards they just knocked out were in. Placing an ear up against the door, Macarona listened intently for signs of any footsteps before opening it to peer out after hearing none. Gesturing for Medouco to follow, the two girls continued along through the hallway as they hurried towards the door located directly at the other end. "Though my case was unique in that regard, maybe because he wanted me dead and sought to have you murdered too since you were the only warden with me as per my request. Ergo, his logic would be that I'd become a threat with the help of a single warden alone whose presence without other wardens garnered suspicion against us both."

"That certainly seems to be the case when you think about it," the maid responded and checked the keyrings before holding them out to the angel once they reached the end. "Do you want to hold onto these or should I?" she inquired next, thinking they could've gone into either Macarona's backpack or her own pockets if she held onto the keys.

"You hold them, Medouco, I've got the skeleton key," Macarona replied and held up a finger for the maid to stay silent while the angel pressed her ear up against this door too like she did with the last one to listen for footsteps. Depending on how quiet it was, perhaps the room was empty unless stationary guards were inside. Noticing the sign hanging from a small nail hammered into the door, she turned her head back to the Gorgon. "Describe this particular room, Medouco. What might we find inside and what is its layout in accordance to the rest of this wing? Is it a cell, or a special room? Would it be connected with other corridors and the other rooms if it were indeed one of the latter rooms?"

"It is the gymnasium where all the exercise equipment is stored," Medouco explained, going over what the angelic girl had asked of her by describing its layout. "Inside you'll find various machines and equipment prisoners and guards alike use to stay in shape. A boxing ring is situated within the center and several open spaces for any physical activities such as fencing, martial arts, and archery are left bare of much equipment aside from what is included which depends on what goes in each of those spaces and what said areas are used for. This threshold is one of three through which they pass whenever anybody needs to exercise; all doors are situated within the center of each wall, though the remaining wall if devoid of anything except the archery targets. Based on our current apposition, guards would enter through the other two doors if we were discovered; however, few would come through the one we take to get in. If anything within the gymnasium could be utilized against them as weapons of sorts, it would be weights and training weapons. Unfortunately, the latter are made out of wood as they are meant for training only whereas the former could probably extend up to steel. Anything heavier like obsidian or ebony would be too dangerous to wield; even if these materials were incorporated in the making of weights, they'd be too heavy for the upper class prisoners to even carry."

"So only the weights could be used depending on how heavy each of them are," the angelic girl theorized, considering their options when entering the room. "Yet the wooden training weapons could be used too if possible. Would you happen to know what material the arrows and crossbow bolts are made out of if any are available to us?"

"I think tiny suction cups are attached at the end to stick onto the archery targets," the demonic maid guessed. "Otherwise they'd be too dangerous to handle as the prisoners could potentially use them as ammunition against the guards if they tried escaping. Even if the suction cups were removed, however, the arrows and bolts are plastic sticks. They wouldn't be too dangerous or useful, though perhaps bows and crossbows can be wielded as clubs, albeit inefficiently."

"Which can break as the wood isn't very durable compared to whatever armor is worn by the guards," the angelic fighter surmised as she slowly opened the door to peer inside. Nobody appeared to be present unless guards remained hidden behind anything that could serve as cover to prevent the two girls from seeing them. While it would've been a decent ambush, Macarona and Medouco could've simply fled out the door they came if any guards were not present behind them. Thinking they could've been hiding in the nearby cells, the angel closed the door and checked several cells for guards by unlocking the doors with the skeleton key. Stepping inside upon finding them each empty, Macarona gazed around and checked every nook and cranny for guards who could've hidden within each. Although every cell she checked was empty, one odd detail she caught immediately upon entering the last which was just three doors down to the right of where the gymnasium door was facing captured her attention. A medium sized wet spot situated on the ceiling close to the cell's center indicated a leak from the floor above and water droplets were currently falling and landing within a bucket placed directly underneath the leak. "What's the floor above this one, Medouco?"

"The en suites for each prisoner," Medouco answered. "Of course, they are all empty right about now."

"Seems one of them is leaking," Macarona observed by stating what was already obvious. "Maybe we could break in through the floor and pass by through there to find an alternative route that may be quicker and safer for us to go."

"There are two access points up to that floor on either side of this wing, Macarona. I'm afraid we're not near either from where we are standing now, but if we do manage to break through I can lead you to one. Only problems which will be of cause for concern are: how heavily guarded the corridors and stairwells outside the private en suites would be, and also whether they could bring us closer to wherever we'd get out. One goes straight through the parlor, a double staircase on either side of the balcony landing in there leading to that floor. The other is accessible via the main corridor near this wing's entrance where the registration desk for prisoners is located. If we were to take the latter route, we'd likely encounter guards stationed around there who could trap us. The former, however, is also likely defended because of four doorways into the parlor; that said, I'm not sure if the double doors that lead to the en suites would be guarded because they are empty. Just the floor below the balcony landing might be laden with some guards present there."

Shutting her eyes and imagining the layout as her friend just described it, Macarona analyzed both areas that could've been used by them to escape this part of Nightrise Castle. According to the Gorgon and her memories of the place, the young angel knew where this wing's main entrance was located even if she couldn't exactly place where the two of them were currently located in relation to that specific area. As Medouco said, the main entrance was a tough situation to get through because of the guards stationed around this wing they also patrolled. Though a couple of the guards were knocked out and placed with others from the storage room she and Medouco passed through en route to come into this one, the angel expected their little scuffles with them would've not gone unnoticed. Suspicious would become aroused and the hunt would've been on, leading the guards to the girls' current position. That would've been very bad for them, so they needed to make sure they wouldn't get caught in a sudden trap that likely would've drawn this attention onto them. Fighting the guards at the main entrance would've not only drawn those particular forces, but also others from elsewhere inside and around the castle's exterior to their location. However, the parlor might've been a safer alternative because fewer guards could've been there, though they still could've been found because of how the parlor had four ways in. Macarona and Medouco couldn't afford to get caught whether the final decision was to go through the main entrance or the parlor, but there was a third option the young angel was thinking of implementing to make their escape.

"What if we were to break through, but take the gymnasium anyway?" Macarona voiced her thoughts to Medouco for the demonic maid's opinion. "If we do we won't have to go through either way and just take the route we've discovered just now before entering this cell. Yet the destroyed ceiling could theoretically draw their attention."

"But if we do that and leave the door open, we'll probably be setting up for that anyway and they could still consider whether that was a ruse or not, Macarona," the Gorgon pointed out a flaw in the planning of that bold decision.

"Yes…they very well could…" the angelic grappler shut her eyes again and sought to figure out a solution they'd be able to implement to try and fool the guards. "Although, say we do that and just stick to either the parlor or withdraw towards the main entrance. Suppose we pick the parlor? Would the guards realize we would have gone there?"

"They likely would, but could still expect us to try the main entrance and split their forces to investigate, but remaining within the private en suites—if I'm guessing what you're thinking correctly—probably won't work either."

"Indeed, but then their forces would be split into three distinct groups to investigate all three places at once."

"Four if counting the gymnasium and the rest of this floor," Medouco added to the equation which further complicated how they'd escape when the guards figured out what their plan was. "We don't have too many options, Macarona. The problem is that we've so many routes they can consider us taking to try ensnaring us with a decisive trap."

"Unless we give them something else to focus on…" Macarona murmured, an idea formulating in her mind since she was thinking of any solutions that could've been implemented into getting them out of here unnoticed with everybody else against them paying attention on a different issue. A problem they would've had to administer to as it required setting up the same conditions present in the backyard. She and the Gorgon had to make it look like enemies from outside beyond the castle grounds were responsible and that said enemies had already infiltrated Nightrise castle. Getting it to work would've been difficult because the guards might've figured out at some point there were no real enemies outside despite the necessity for repairing the damage and preserving all outside stations from external attacks. However, success would've garnered their attention towards the problem by forcing them to mend damage while protecting this current area too, thereby possibly drawing in more support from other wings of the castle to defend it. Regardless of whether they knew what had really happened or not, the threat of external opposition demanded they preserve this area of the castle against any additional threats from outside and hunt down any intruders. Knowing the intruders were Macarona and Medouco was easy to figure out, though more infiltrators had to be found because the potential threat still existed even if the other infiltrators hadn't existed yet. Further, the damage needed to be tended to as ensuring the destruction didn't spread to other spaces within the castle to negatively affect them with further damage would have been a concern they couldn't ignore. This part of the castle could have collapsed, leading to the fall of those subsequent areas affected. "Medouco, is there a control room of sorts that can regulate the flow of water in this one wing?"

The maid's eyes widened when she realized what her angelic companion intended on doing. "W-wait, you want to f-flood these floors?!" she gasped in surprise, aware of the dire consequences that action would've had. Yet Medouco knew there were also benefits to that as well from her familiarity and involvement with the explosions out within the hedge maze. Once again Macarona had come up with a double edged sword of a plan that would have functioned effectively whether the results were in their favor or not. Once more the Gorgon had to wonder if it was actually pure genius or mad insanity driving that plan—maybe both. Still, it was an idea nonetheless even though Medouco wanted a better option than the thought of making it a reality with one of two endings: their escape or their capture and deaths. Of course, the maid had a feeling they'd have no choice but to follow that logic considering the long term impact of implementing it was better than the short term impact of choosing another option. When the angelic combatant nodded in response to confirm the idea was true and valid, Medouco calmed down somewhat despite still sounding panicked by the decision which surprised her as she was agreeing with it. "Y-yes, by the stairwell near the entrance to this wing. Although each en suite is controlled individually, there are controls that turn on every faucet in each."

Macarona smiled, shutting her eyes as she leapt up and used her wings as flying supports to stay airborne so she'd be able to kick a hole in the ceiling. Applying somatomantic energy to one foot and the leg it was attached to, Macarona smashed that foot near where the leak was. Had she struck the particular spot it was by, the angel could've accidently broken pipes the water was going through which would've gotten both her and Medouco wet. Luckily no pipes were within the part where she struck, and she made a hole wide enough for both her and the Gorgon to enter together at the same time. "Alright, Medouco," she stated and carried the maid up with her, "let's go find those controls."

"I-I'll take you to them, Macarona, b-but try not to get carried away with this," the maid responded nervously.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing for now. Hopefully we won't have too much trouble."

…

"Is everything prepared?" he asked, checking to ensure the glass eyes surrounding him were functioning as properly as they should have whenever the Gentleman Devil used this room. Normally Satanick was the one seated within this room in the very chair Anten now held command over. He never allowed any of his subordinates in even though those he valued for their skills as his personal assassins knew about it. Under any other circumstances Anten's access would've been denied by his superior because he didn't have the authorization. Only Yagi did whenever the Gentleman Devil required the goat demon to perform this task in his stead whenever Satanick was unavailable. Yet the two men weren't here anymore and likely wouldn't ever return due to GriRea's suspicions threatening to become an obstacle of the opposition against Satanick. Henceforth it was only out of necessity for Anten to take control right now.

"Yes, sir," one of the technicians replied and finished cleaning up after they hacked into the system. Unlike technological equipment found anywhere else in this underworld or other civilizations, the glass eyes were a private security system of sorts. Granted, each of the estates within the Magnus District also had private security systems too, though this one was different. The one Anten sat in was a product of artification, a system of devices constructed by professional mages from a guild Satanick hired to develop. It was a fairly simple contract of building the device and getting paid in return, yet the Gentleman Devil had no intention of letting this information become public knowledge. Once the mages finished outfitting the system with the enchantments required to connect the glass eyes in here to reflections of all the windows and mirrors within the entire castle, Satanick had them all killed before proceeding to eliminate the entire guild from society via the deaths of all its other members and its complete erasure from existence. Public charters and documents pertaining to its public appearance were burned even as some known only to Yagi and Satanick remained preserved in locations only they knew about and had access to. Anten could theorize where even though his suspicions about that were likely correct, but it wasn't important to him as he didn't care. For all he knew, Satanick could've had different artificers improving upon the enchantments to increase the range covered so that the whole underworld could be visible to him through these glass eyes. That way he'd know what went on everywhere.

It was definitely an invasive measure into the privacy of everybody else which went against the laws GriRea developed to ensure their privacy was safe, making it a crime to go against that law. Of course, as a resident she too would've been subjected to the same mistreatment other demons in the Devil's Kingdom would've secretly received. Even if this room was found by somebody who'd somehow report it to her, the glass eyes also had an enchantment to decrease their size and make them completely invisible to the naked eye and all forms of visual aids like night vision alongside thermal vision. Then the case would be nothing more than the finder putting forth 'false proof with a false testimony.' Following that being turned over to Her Majesty would be both the finder's assassination and disappearance.

However, the range could've been capable of spreading everywhere, to other underworlds and heavens too. Anten wondered if such a system could be elaborated on that far with everyone none the wiser to being spied on. It might've seemed possible and doable, so maybe Satanick was already having methods for that being worked on in secret.

He smirked, glad the system was up and running under his command as he sat in the chair, swiveling to see every eye staring right at him so he could stare through them. "Good," he said, his smirk becoming a wicked grin so chilling it would've made hairs stand on end. He looked forward to those girls' reactions when they were finally caught.

…

Running water gushing through the pipes as they hurried to the stairwell by the prison wing's main entrance. The two girls had already found the control room and finished their work there. Medouco had initially worried they'd require a password for the computers because the system might've been shut off or in sleep mode. She herself didn't know what the password could've been if there was one, but luckily the computers were on and ready because a lone guard had been checking to see if everything was ready to prepare for a massive flood. Apparently orders had been passed down from above to have all evidence of any prisoners who used the private en suites erased by flooding all of them. After the water was drained, cleaners would've been sent in to finish the job by scrubbing each and every en suite with soap and yet more water to ensure not a single trace of any physical evidence like hairs, blood, bacteria, and the like was present. It sounded a bit excessive to Macarona because she believed that was just going too far in destroying evidence, but then again this was because Satanick still colluded with Warwick. Cleaning house only seemed to be the most natural thing to do based on the viewpoint the Gentleman Devil had, and apparently his subordinates seemed to have adopted that very same philosophy.

Thankfully the guard was alone so Macarona could knock him unconscious without anyone else being none the wiser because nobody else was present. He didn't even know they were with him, believing the girls were just some other guards coming to check on his progress. A spearman he was, his lance leaning up against the wall behind him so it could be taken. He had already turned the valves needed to release the water pressure and let everything flood; all that was left was simply pressing a button to activate the flood. Because their work was done for them, all Macarona had to do was use that lance against him by smashing it over the guy's head. The blow she dealt hurt a lot despite not killing him which wasn't what she wanted to do in the first place, though it hadn't effectively rendered him unconscious. Hence she moved at once by dropping the weapon to grab his head in one hand and dash it onto the countertop. Still, he didn't die, though he did fall unconscious due to that second blow. Once he was no longer a threat, the young angel proceeded to snap the lance in two by lifting one leg up and breaking the weapon against it. For added safety she applied somatomantic energy to her foot and smashed it down on the steel tip to shatter it to pieces as Medouco turned the valves to close every single pipe.

With the water flowing quickly through the pipes, they had to get out of there quickly before attention was drawn to the facts the spearman wasn't returning and the explosion that would've been produced by the leaking pipe which was located by Medouco on the motherboard of valves that were all connected to the entire pipeline. Several valves were on it, though the Gorgon only needed to turn one which affected several pipes, including the one that leaked. Thus the explosion would spread not just from the leaky pipe, but to others as well. The concrete at that specific location would shatter within the explosion and send water everywhere to damage the cell below it whereas the water that hit the concrete on both sides would potentially weaken it in addition to the damage caused by the explosion's range of splash damage—figuratively in the literal sense. Because several different pipes were connected to the same valve at once, the same effects would also be achieved to some extent that would eventually reach the same impact as the leaky pipe. The fact that several explosions at once would cause a chain reaction was enough to cause serious destruction—maybe even flood this floor and the bottom one as they planned. Hopefully it would've worked as Medouco closed additional pipes for better chances of succeeding.

They could hear it even now, the water spreading and stopping at certain points which indicated where the pipes remained closed thanks to the demonic maid sealing them shut before the angelic grappler pressed the button to activate the flood. It was spreading fast, being channeled through the pipes before suddenly stopping at the access points where the water was supposed to pass through. Soon enough the pressure from all that water built up to produce all the explosions. Water erupted through the floors that shattered behind them as they sped through the corridors. Noise from the explosions were almost deafening, forcing the girls to cover their ears as Medouco squealed in fright when the sudden noise gave her a really bad scare. They weren't splashed by any of the water, fortunately, though the explosions drew enough attention to something happening on this floor. Already guards were beginning to rush up towards their current location at the stairwell where Macarona and Medouco were going to descend. Yet the young angel expected this and was prepared for them to show up. "Hey, what the hell's going on up there?!" one of three who were coming to investigate shouted as they entered by bursting through the double doors just as the girls arrived. Running towards one of them, Macarona leapt up to kick the door closest to her as a way of knocking one guard back against the railing to fall over it. Although he seized the railing to save himself, he could hear the sounds of his two fellows being beaten up by some intruders or the angel they were still in the middle of hunting down. Hanging on with one hand, the axe in that hand having fallen to the floor below with just the shield in the other, the warrior grunted while lifting himself up when a pair of hands suddenly lifted him up into the face of a rather intimidating angel—the very same angel they needed to kill. Without a word Macarona head-butted him and then with enough strength lifted the demon up in the air and brought him down hard on her knee that smashed his stomach. As he was choking up spit mixed with a bit of blood, the angelic fighter set the man on his feet and whirled to kick him hard.

The severe blow connected with his cheek and sent him back into the railing which broke under his weight and the force of her attack. One flight below a spellsword was investigating the axe that had fallen when he suddenly felt some crushing weight smashing him into the ground followed by another weight that pummeled him and the warrior further. In no time at all Macarona quickly stepped forward to disarm the gunner in the lobby near them when he tried to perform an execution shot on her at point blank range. A foolish maneuver on his part because she seized his arm, tightening the grip on him to make the demon cry out in pain as his grip on the lone pistol he carried loosened just enough for his opponent to claim it from him with her other hand. Stretching his arm up and kneeing him in the stomach while letting go to deliver yet another attack against him, she raised her leg and drove the sole of her foot into the guard to knock him back onto the floor. Another guard, a myrmidon, sprinted over to slash at her with the silver shortsword he carried; luckily Macarona dodged it in time by stepping back prior to reentering the fray a mere second later to kick the blade up into the air. It somersaulted just a few times and fell back down after the angel seized the myrmidon to yank him forward into her knee which once again smashed into her opponent's stomach so she could lift him up and throw the myrmidon down onto the floor. Noticing the final guard in the direct vicinity, an archer raising his bow up to shoot an arrow at her, Macarona used the pistol still in her hand to block the arrow by throwing it at it. Her measure was spot-on as both projectiles collided with one another as she hurried towards the archer. He was prepared for her and drew a silver shortsword of his own like the myrmidon's she was carrying now. Although he could block a slash, a punch, or even a kick from her with the blade and then parry, he was not prepared for Macarona's choice of target. In an instant she sidestepped and slashed at the bowstring to cut it and leapt back.

The archer just chuckled and examined his bow while she got into a defensive position, holding up both fists, the shortsword in one pointing down towards the floor which indicated she might've possibly performed an uppercut to likely slash him. "Clever," he remarked as something of a compliment, somewhat impressed with the girl's forethought, seeing Medouco enter the lobby too to hit the recovering myrmidon on the head with her healing staff. The blow was enough to knock him unconscious. "Eliminating the opponent's choice of weaponry. You've got skill, I'll give you just that much."

"You'll be giving me more in just a moment," Macarona taunted him slightly despite not smiling as he entered a defensive stance too while still chuckling as if he already predicted his victory. It was too bad for him, unfortunately, as the angel he was up against blocked the punch he delivered with his free fist after casually throwing his own blade up into the air and catching the hilt with the blade pointing down like hers. Instantly she wrapped her arm around his while parrying a slash from the shortsword with the myrmidon's. Stepping back so they were side to side, Macarona pushed him forward and entered the motion with him. The demon's grip on his weapon tightened as he tried to stab his opponent, but the angel saw that coming based on seeing the weapon pointing at her chest and slashed downward to knock the blade away. While that loosened his grip, she expected he'd try to sweep one leg under her feet and acted in the same manner he likely would have by performing that very gesture. Once he fell to the floor she quickly got down and punched him twice in the face to daze the archer. Standing up after ripping the silver shortsword from his hand while his vision was blurred, the angel lifted her foot up to stomp on his face to finally knock the archer unconscious. "There, thank you for giving me that opening."

"That was quite an impressive display of your combat prowess, Macarona," Medouco complimented her as she walked over. "Still, we must hurry if we are to avoid detection from more guards who would've likely heard all that now."

"Yeah, you're right," Macarona agreed. "Let's not waste any more time here worrying about these guys."

"If we're quick we might be able to reach the interior battlements nearby," Medouco advised her as she and the angelic girl hurried out into the corridor. The noise of running footsteps behind other doors and from around the corner at the far end of the hall behind them sounded closer than they may have expected which was why they couldn't dawdle for too long. "We'll need to find the western tower and descend it to reach the basement where we can enter the dungeons."

"To come out a different route where we could finally escape the castle if there's an escape route there?"

The Gorgon shrugged when they finally reached the tower where Macarona used the skeleton key to unlock the door so they could head inside. "I-I don't know to be honest, I-I've never been down that far myself. I have only received a bit of access to the basement and saw where the entrance was on a number of occasions," she explained as they began the descent down. "From what I've heard, it's essentially an oubliette considered by many in this castle to be the worst place in all of the Devil's Kingdom. Few outside of Nightrise Castle know of its existence, and most people only really associate it with Zlienderstrom's jails in the Magnus District and beyond the northern walls of town just a bit past the Plaza District."

"So then what would that make the dungeons?" Macarona asked out of curiosity. "Solitary confinement?"

Once again the demonic maid nodded. "Indeed, it's very much like an insane asylum with decrepit conditions of such horrible depravity from what I've heard from other servants who have gone down there." Medouco shuddered at the thought of it, her account sending shivers down her spine as her mind conjured up the images of what went on down there in the dungeons. "I've heard stories that those who go down there never return and that they are brutally tortured to death."

"Sounds like a creepy place," the angel commented as they hurried down. "I'd wager it's probably haunted also because of however many prisoners die down there, never to see the light of day, those they cherish, and their homes ever again." Hearing a whimper from her companion made Macarona turn to see Medouco turn pale. "Oh, sorry about that."

"I-i-it's f-fine, Macarona, I-I know the place is probably haunted," the maid murmured, swallowing heavily and taking a deep breath to try calming down so she could forget the mention of haunted dungeons. Though a maid, Medouco didn't know exactly how many prisoners wet sent down there and perished by whatever means slew them whether it was gentle time taking its toll very slowly by driving them insane in the darkness of their cells or slow torture that led to death. It was something only the chartomancers would know as they kept tallies and records of how many prisoners resided there. Executioners and torturers might've known too if they kept personal tallies as well, though they were more likely to show more concern for how they wanted to do their jobs because they enjoyed their work as sickening as it was to others like the Gorgon and her angelic friend. "I-I just hope there's an enchantment to prevent them from getting out of the dungeons."

"If there was, I'd say it'd probably be either by heavenly faith or magic that would protect the castle," Macarona guessed just to put forth a minor theory on that detail. "Either sounds possible considering there are mages here and that the Gentleman Devil would probably have connections to some angels who could apply the enchantment as per his business associations in the Corporate Heaven. Still, I do agree it'd be better to avoid any undead in there in whatever form they do take. Maybe we could skip going through there and find another route through the basement itself if we are that lucky."

"Perhaps," Medouco concurred as they finally reached the bottom and passed through a door within a stone arch that loomed above it after the angel inserted the skeleton key into the lock to unlock it. Entering into a large space with only several crates, tables, and counters on all sides of them, the girls proceeded forward past several display cases used as extra cabinets for the closets that were already too full of stuff from the looks of it. As they strode forward past a variety of tables and chairs stacked high with various trinkets, decorations, and items on top, Macarona had to admire the basement for its cleanliness and organized fashion. She hardly made out any cobwebs or noticed much dust everywhere, and things were neatly arranged in a manner that, while making it hard to see other spots in the large central area and the various rooms that adjoined the one they entered, were positioned so that it was easy to get around. Enough space for personal space with the afforded mobility was emphasized it seemed, and the spaces in between areas inhabited by items, tables, counters, and the crates with cabinets and display cases were wide enough for two rows of individuals two columns wide to pass through.

"It's certainly a tidy space down here," the young angel observed as they were sauntering through the basement, noting the apparent lack of guards present as she didn't hear any footsteps or conversations from elsewhere in the vicinity. Macarona found that odd, unsure of why that was when guards were located all over Nightrise Castle. She expected there would've been guards coming up from here to patrol the stairwell or investigate the prison wing after the flood both of the girls caused. Some could've even been stationary around doorways and chokepoints. They would've at least encountered about a few or several at this point, yet none were even present as if the basement wasn't too special to be protected from a threat. At first Macarona considered that option and took into account the possibility of the dungeons being haunted. Even so, those theories probably didn't make too much sense in this scenario unless there was no way for them to go except but through the dungeons where any undead could've swarmed the girls and killed them, leaving the guards free of worries if they knew that happened. If not, they'd have needed to investigate in order to properly confirm what happened. Perhaps it was possible they were afraid of the dungeons, but that didn't make sense because guards would've likely been in there to ensure the place was well-guarded and executioners and torturers would've been doing their jobs. Maybe guards from up here didn't have to enter the dungeons and could've felt lucky it wasn't a requirement so they could skip the basement as a place to guard even if they weren't scared of it. The notion that there wasn't anything important down here made no sense either because there had to be something of value even if it was only of minor concern. Under the current circumstances it would've been necessary to guard all bases, including the basement. Glasses did say he went through the entire castle prior to returning to his apartment and updating them with the information, but maybe he really hadn't…or did he come here?

"A lot of servants do come down here on a regular basis each day," Medouco murmured, lowering her voice to avoid drawing any attention since she too suspected foul play as something was fishy. "We have to clean the basement as well so we can find everything that is kept organized in a neat fashion that makes it easier to locate anything that's needed."

"Anything except a well-placed trap and an ambush hiding out of plain sight?" Macarona inquired rhetorically, suspecting a trap had indeed been prepared for their arrival. How the guards would've known they came down here was difficult to really ascertain, though the angel's suspicions because it appeared empty aside from her and Medouco slowly became something of a conviction that it was in fact occupied by guards hidden from their sight. Where was the question.

The demonic maid's eyes widened slightly as that concern made her paranoid even as she suspected it too. She whipped her head around, beginning to sweat nervously as she swallowed heavily, trembling slightly because she became afraid of getting jumped and scared out of her mind by guards—or undead if any happened to penetrate the enchantment upon the door and maybe the walls as well. "I-I don't know, maybe…" the Gorgon replied since she couldn't keep herself from worrying about getting caught and killed. Though she would still stand by Macarona, she was scared of the guards and tightened her grasp on the healing staff for comfort since she could at least hit somebody with it. Walking behind the young angel in front of her also helped somewhat since was protected from the front, but not the back. Instinctively she'd begun drawing closer to Macarona, reaching an arm out to take her friend's arm for additional comfort and security which helped calm the timid Gorgon down. Yet it was the sudden laughter from all around them that made her cry out in fright at her mentioning of the problem Macarona just voiced. It only could've been timed, putting both girls on edge for their lives.

"Well said, ladies," the familiar voice laughed as its owner revealed himself to be Anten. His voice reverberated all around them both, making the girls unsure of where his voice was coming from as they stood attentively in a defensive position to prepare for an assault against them that would force them to hide or retreat. "Not entirely unexpected, though, I will admit. Your little show in the prison wing was certainly impressive, I'll give you that. No wonder you're actually the reincarnated descendant of Rigatona. I guess it just goes to show that you've got the talent for unarmed combat like her in light of the fact you're still not her. I bet she wouldn't have easily walked straight into this little ambush I prepared for you." Upon mentioning the ambush four assassins emerged from within a four-way intersection followed by four nightblades in the rafters who leapt down onto the crates to guard the diagonals. On a nearby balcony two snipers and two gunners were emerging from behind concrete pillars in the shadows to aim their firearms down at the girls. Only twelve guards in total were present so far, but Macarona and Medouco assumed more were around or on their way. "You're now surrounded."

"Gee, thanks for stating the obvious, Anten," the angel hissed defiantly, whirling around to examine the positions of all eight guards close to them. She didn't count the demonic assassin himself among them, meaning he was around the basement somewhere as his voice reverberated off the walls. Then again, perhaps he was speaking through some kind of speaker system that functioned in tune with security devices informing him of their location. The fact twelve guards were present indicated the fight would be tough, though this ambush must've only been planned out haphazardly because there wasn't much time to really iron out the details of where more guards would've hid. Apart from this precise intersection the girls were standing in—which was the only main path through the basement—it would've been tough to really catch them off guard in a spot where it'd have been difficult to locate and fight them just as Macarona and Medouco could have had a tough time dealing with the guards around them. She'd have asked where Anten was, but figured he'd not answer.

"Why, it's my pleasure, angel," Anten replied whimsically in a sadistic tone. "It's the least I can do for you after all the trouble you've put us through. Property damage and the concern of an outside threat even where there is none…just what I'd expect from a troublesome nuisance like you, Macarona." He laughed again, enjoying the predicament he placed them in. "You know, I've been looking forward to this ever since you and Miss Lil kicked the shit out of my ass back in your world. Karma's certainly a bitch, isn't it? How what goes around comes around full circle. That payment's overdue."

Macarona scowled, her eyes darting to each of the assassins and nightblades to take note of their equipment with the position of each. The former duel wielded amber daggers laced with poison from the look of toxic droplets dripping to the floor. As for the nightblades, they carried Mithril longswords in one hand each with what looked like spells in the other hands; each spell looked different based on the magic showing up in their palms: Cryomancy, paralysis, invisibility, along with blinking to travel short to long distances in the blink of an eye by way of warping. Turning her attention to the pairs of gunners and snipers, the young angel noticed the former wielded assault rifles whereas the latter held sniper rifles. She took a deep breath after noting everything in her mind, observing an elevator behind the snipers and gunners which could have been an escape route for her and the Gorgon to take. Of course, guards could've also used that same elevator too, a risk she considered as well which would've inhibited them from fleeing that way, thereby making it harder to escape. Obviously it wasn't looking too good for the girls as their chances of escape and fighting back were limited, dwindling in the face of the threat posed to them which appeared to turn the tide in their enemies' favor by giving them an advantage for securing quite an upper hand over the girls. Nevertheless, there was still a chance they both could get out of this safely and unharmed.

Planning their escape already as Anten was busy gloating over his perceived victory before it even happened, the angelic grappler had already decided how she'd begin implementing the idea. Reaching into the backpack, she found one of the flashbangs still inside from when she looted the guards she knocked out before. Macarona knew she had to time this right, aware she had to shut her eyes and cover Medouco's too without alerting anybody to what she intended to do. It was going to be tricky and difficult to pull off, but she had her hopes even as she located the pin and pulled it out without even removing the flashbang from her backpack yet. They had only seconds before it went off, and she mentally counted down those precious seconds before the timer she concocted in her mind rang to indicate the alarm for it being set off. She could hear their foes chuckling, and even Anten was laughing too since he too believed Macarona was going to try something to make an attempt at further escape. "What, you think anything you've got in that backpack of yours is enough to even take down these guys? It's not like you can fit a weapon or anything else of the sort inside, what with how little space you have. Why don't you just surrender instead of fleeing with your tail between your legs? You'll at least get to keep your dignity; whatever much of it you still actually have if you ever had much to begin with!" Now he was just insulting her as if he did truly expect to have successfully trapped the reincarnated descendant of Rigatona to kill her. How wrong he actually was.

"At least I have dignity to fight head-on even while escaping," Macarona retorted, having thought out the remark before saying it since it was only proper for her to dis Anten because he already did it to her. "Unlike a certain assassin who believes he's so high and mighty he doesn't have to even bother showing up because he doesn't have the guts or courage to fight me like a man as he's only a pathetic coward hiding behind henchmen and security systems so he can feel safe."

Her retort made said henchmen chuckle against Anten, much to the demonic assassin's displeasure. "Oooh," a nightblade laughed, "shots fired! She's certainly had the gall to stand you up like that, sir! Thanks for an entertaining kill!"

Their laughter at how funny they found her burn compared to his only infuriated Anten as they could all hear the man growling in rage over whatever kind of speaker system was included in the security system or wherever he actually was in the room. If he was present, the demonic assassin certainly could've shown Macarona a thing or two by beating the shit out of her to prove he wasn't cowardly. Whether he was or not couldn't be determined, but he'd at least try to redeem himself after listening to that burn and the laughter of his men in response to it. Still, he held the tactical advantage over the girls even if this banter only served to piss him off. He did ask for it, though, if not by way of actually asking for it. "Alright, everybody just shut up!" he shouted angrily at his subordinates, demanding they act now before whatever thoughts along with ideas of turning rogue filled their minds. If they decided not to attack because he was leaving the job to them instead of doing it himself—a possible indication of Anten's alleged cowardice and laziness—their trap was ruined. Nonetheless, Anten hoped they wouldn't because of their greed for promotions and rewards for having killed their targets; Anten didn't mind letting them have that glory due to the position he placed them in, so he'd allow them to gloat about it all they wanted if this ambush successfully ended Macarona's life—at least he hoped it'd work in their favor, anyway. "Just kill her now!"

"Sure, sure, sir," an assassin chuckled in spite of being told to shut up. "We'll get to it and keep you safe." Again, he and the others kept chuckling at Anten's misfortune, knowing Anten wouldn't dare say or do anything otherwise since punishing them for teasing him could've only risked making them angry with him. "We'll protect you from the 'big, bad, angel' sir, don't you worry." Their continued amusement at their superior did infuriate him even after he gave the order for them to do their jobs, yet it was Macarona's chuckling that added to the demon's anger because she found it funny as well. She couldn't resist the urge to smirk and chuckle at Anten's misfortune of not being there to properly defend both himself and his honor as a demonic assassin, for this was something he'd never be able to stand for, let alone live with. There was a second reason why she was smiling and chuckling, however, for she was glad their attention was drawn to her burning the demonic assassin with that retort instead of the flashbang they never knew she had—and had only pulled the pin out of.

"What the hell's so funny, angel?!" Anten demanded of her even after his men resumed taking this serious now that their desire for entertaining amusement was quenched. "You think you can get away with saying that before dying?!" He noticed that, of everyone in the room who had been chuckling—apart from Medouco since the maid never laughed at him—Macarona was still chuckling as if she still found it funny…or had an ace up her sleeve they weren't counting on.

"As a matter of fact…" the young angel smiled cockily, already knowing victory at escape for her and Medouco was secure. "I can!" In that instant she felt the flashbang begin to rupture, having used somatomantic energy to help feel its vibrations inside the canister. Confidently removing it from her backpack in a quick notion without letting them see it as it was thrown up in the center of the room, Macarona shot her hand out to cover Medouco's eyes as the Gorgon shrieked.

"Flash—" they heard one of the snipers from the balcony call out before the flashbang exploded, blinding all of them and keeping Anten from effectively seeing what was going on. The other sniper tried to shoot it out of the air without realizing what it was at first, but in the end he just wasted a bullet on the exploded canister and had to reload the gun barrel. When their vision recovered after failing to shut their eyes or cover them, the demons saw their targets had vanished from sight, unaware of where the angel and her Gorgon friend had gone because they'd been temporarily blinded by the flash.

"What?! Where the hell did they go?!" Anten demanded of them. "Spread out and find them, kill them both!"

Splitting into four teams each consisting of an assassin and a nightblade each, the eight guards down on the floor spread out under orders. Going in four opposite directions after splitting up, one of the pairs approached the balcony where they believed the girls were heading if they planned on taking out the snipers and gunners to make a break for the elevator. Cautiously approaching while the nightblade signaled to the four-man squad up top for them to keep a watch over the pair, they gradually made their way towards the space underneath the balcony where the targets were probably hiding. Display cases and cabinets filled with crates, some of which also rested on countertops against the wall where two sets of double doors led into the dungeons, aligned this area, providing little coverage for hiding. Yet somehow it was the perfect ambush point for taking the guards out as the gunners and snipers suddenly heard a commotion occurring from below their perch and aimed their firearms down in an attempt to see what was going on so they could determine whether they'd fire or not.

Unfortunately, they could not for the railing and the lip of the edge beyond it was in their line of sight, leaving the squad unable to effectively act. Silently gesturing to the gunners to carefully descend the staircases on either side, one of the snipers also motioned to his fellow sniper to keep a close eye on the area ahead of them in case their targets were possibly going to head back if they expected to be pursued by gunfire. Holding an index finger to his lips before grabbing the railing to vault over for a surprise attack while the gunners were approaching the staircase, he leapt over and descended quickly to distract their opponents so the gunners could fire from a safe distance at the top of the staircases once they saw where their targets were. The sound of his sniper rifle going off never happened, only the noise of somebody being grabbed followed by a struggle as if somebody—hopefully the angel or the Gorgon to keep the angel from acting by trying to save the maid from harm or giving up in the hope that Medouco would've been released—was trying to breathe while in a chokehold. It was hard to tell from this vantage point because the noise was coming from below the balcony, directly under the concrete in fact. The fact it was concrete would've made it impossible for bullets to pass through effectively as the ammunition was only going to get stuck inside it. "You alright?" the remaining sniper asked and cautiously approached the railing. Putting a hand forward to grab it and lean over, he peered over to determine if his comrade was fine and if he could get a clear shot. Holstering his sniper rifle at his side, he drew a pistol out in case he was grabbed and pointed it forward, preparing to shoot if he too was grabbed. Nothing happened yet and the gunners were already at the top few steps of the staircases right now.

Then it happened right when he held the pistol over the railing, his finger firmly on the trigger, ready to fire right at a moment's notice when a hand suddenly zoomed towards his hand from a diagonal. He tried to swear aloud and shoot, though a second hand seized his mouth when Macarona flew up into his face so she could not only muffle him, but yank him down. Her other hand had already disarmed him of the pistol which fell into Medouco's grasp so she could unload it, being careful not to accidently press the trigger which would alert the other guards and possibly wound or kill Macarona or even herself for that matter. Pulling the sniper over the railing, making sure the gunners didn't hear the scuffle, the young angel proceeded to knock him unconscious by quietly pressing hard on the area around his throat not to suffocate him, but to just make him lose enough oxygen and breathe to fall unconscious. Once he was down, but alive, she gently dropped the sniper on the floor as the other one was regaining consciousness. Before he had completely woken up, the angelic grappler proceeded towards him to lift the demon up. He staggered on his feet, wobbling a bit while Macarona whirled around to deliver a severe kick to his stomach that sent the man flying into the wall by the left staircase. His body slumped to the landing in between the stairs going up and the several steps going down, getting the descending gunner's attention.

Instinctively aiming his assault rifle at the open area below the staircase and finding nobody there before firing, he caught sight of the other gunner making the same motion because he too had heard the noise and rushed to aim too before he shot any rounds too. Raising a hand to gesture for that guy to merely analyze the space from where he stood, the gunner standing on the left staircase slowly approached the body to kneel down and examine him for any serious injuries. Noting nothing of real significance apart from the sniper's unconscious form, he looked up at the only squad mate still standing to find he had vanished. The other gunner was nowhere in sight, presumably because he disobeyed the one instruction of just standing back and observing from the current vantage point he held. Sighing because he expected that was the case, he did not entirely discard the theory that their targets were behind the disappearance. Henceforth he proceeded down the several remaining steps with caution, carefully checking his surroundings while slowly approaching the other unconscious sniper to examine him. The other gunner, if he had investigated, would've been doing just that, but as it was only he was around for it. Unable to see around the pillar the sniper's body was resting against, he went around the side the angel would be on to hopefully avoid the trap she likely set for him while looking behind himself every so often in case the latter happened.

"I must apologize," a female voice murmured softly, loud enough for him to hear as a staff suddenly shot out in front of him while a hand grabbed the other side, "if you've been expecting Macarona." Finding himself caught within the chokehold, the staff pressing hard against his throat while he struggled to breathe, he turned his head somewhat to discover Medouco was the culprit strangling him. He still held the assault rifle in his hands and slowly maneuvered it into a position to be fired once the demonic maid was in the line of fire. Unfortunately, with his eyes on her, he hadn't noticed the angel's approach until it was too late when the firearm was suddenly seized from his grip. The angel removed the magazine full of ammunition, laying both it and the assault rifle on the floor before taking the demonic gunner from her demonic friend.

"Go to sleep now…" were the only four words uttered softly under her breath as she head-butted him before she punched the guy in the face. With him unconscious, she gently laid the gunner by the sniper and proceeded to loot both of their bodies for anything useful. Finding several flashbangs and frag grenades, she proceeded to pocket several of the few former she discovered and left only a couple of the latter behind. Taking the Gorgon behind the pillar so they could remain in the shadows to hide, she peered around it and crept over the corner of the path heading down to the intersection to gaze down it for any signs of the other guards. Nobody was present as she pulled the binoculars out from her backpack to see if there was anything she could throw the frag grenade she held onto at to cause enough damage to catch their attention. One counter of crates across from her beyond the intersection bore a label on it with the word 'fireworks' on it. It was her target, the only chaos she could cause to divert attention from her and Medouco onto trying to escape the fireworks and repair the damage they might've caused. Taking a deep breath as Medouco approached, Macarona took a big risk in emerging out of cover to throw the grenade, using enough somatomantic energy to make it go far enough to land on the intended target.

Her reach was successful even as she didn't watch the grenade land. Instead she quickly grabbed Medouco and flew up onto the balcony right as Anten spoke up now. How he hadn't known they were there before was a mystery, yet it wasn't the time to be concerned over such details as they needed to get away. "They're heading for the elevator! Stop them, you useless dipshits!" Anten screamed in rage when he learned of what they were going to do after finally catching a glimpse of them through a mirror hidden in the ceiling. "Just kill them before—" He was interrupted before he was able to finish that statement, however, for the frag grenade exploded to ignite the fireworks and send them flying everywhere in the basement as they broke out of the crates. The remaining six guards who heard the explosions rushed over to see what happened only to be assailed by blows they received when the fireworks hit them, leaving them incapable of really acting.

Right at this time the girls had reached the elevator where Medouco proceeded to begin playing with the buttons on the panel to try and unlock it. "A-ah, M-Macarona," she cried out in fright as the combinations she tried were unable to open the elevator door, "i-it's locked!" Fireworks exploded all around them, reaching their general vicinity and drowning out their dialogue as they conversed with one another. "I-I don't know the code for this door and I-I don't know where it'll take us! W-we're g-going to be hit!" A sudden firework that came too close screamed like a banshee as it neared, blowing up on the wall behind Medouco as she shrieked in terror and clung to Macarona for safety after receiving that bad scare.

"I know; there's got to be a way to unlock this keyhole!" her angelic friend remarked and kneeled slightly so she could analyze the panel further. There was a keyhole covered by a glass latch firmly locked in place; perhaps it was only going to unlock when the right combination was punched in as that must have been what the buttons were for. Yet they didn't have time to figure out what exactly the precise combination was because of the fireworks, so Macarona considered making an attempt at breaking the glass with her fist and then her foot by punching and kicking it respectively. Neither hit worked since the glass must've been heavily reinforced by powerful enchantments to keep it from shattering, so only a single other option was available to her as Macarona took it. Just applying enough somatomantic energy to her fingers and hand, the angelic grappler reached out to rip the latch asunder and successfully pulled it from the panel. "There, that should do it, Medouco!" she commented and removed the skeleton key from her pocket to insert it into the lock and tried turning it. Unfortunately, it wouldn't work regardless of whichever way she turned the skeleton key. "Damn it, it's locked! It isn't working!" she swore and thought back to what Glasses said before. "This must be unlocked by the master skeleton key!"

Medouco's eyes widened. "T-the master skeleton key!" she cried out in surprise, only remembering about it just now right when they needed it most. "B-but Mr. Glasses said only his father carries the sole copy of that! O-oh, t-this isn't good!" The prospect of retreating back the way they came or proceeding forward through the basement via the route they originally planned to take would've seemed like a good idea had it not been for any guards who might've come rushing to attack. Anten could've told them where she and Macarona were, or they might've heard the fireworks. Either way wasn't good and neither path was a valid choice anymore. "W-we're t-trapped for good this time, Macarona! How will we—"

"LOOK OUT!" Macarona screamed as she grabbed the Gorgon and dove down to the floor with her to avoid a few fireworks that shot towards the elevator. When they looked up at the damage done to the wall where they'd been standing immediately after, they could see the area was damaged. The panel they tinkered with was destroyed. Wires protruded out from within it, the small tiles that made up the buttons on the floor where they now rested after the three fireworks each smashed into the elevator. Two of them apparently hit the door, leaving behind scorch marks whereas the third impacted the panel where their only way of opening the elevator was destroyed…and yet it miraculously opened.

Neither Macarona nor Medouco questioned their lucky break, nor would they breathe sighs of relief. They could hear a couple of the remaining guards who were avoiding the onslaught of exploding fireworks sprinting towards them as they hurried to their feet and rushed inside. Only two buttons were on a panel inside as the demonic maid pressed the one on top since logic dictated it would've brought them up besides the fact they were already at a point where they might've been unable to descend further if the elevator couldn't go down into the dungeons. The door closed just in the nick of time.

…

His eyes were wide in incredulous shock, dumbfounded surprise being his only reaction to what he witnessed in the glass eye he was facing. How what happened in the basement even took place caught him off guard as he never knew fireworks were even stored down there. Some of the servants and guards might've, but he didn't. Obviously they were for celebrations whenever people wanted to use them. Still, the fact he hadn't been aware of the fireworks was something that hadn't been accounted for when he should've expected it. Granted, he had no way of informing many guards in time as it was only possible to communicate through one glass eye at a time which was how he was only able to get at least the twelve guards he contacted. As misfortune would've had it they didn't know about the fireworks either. Their failure to realize that was the downfall of their ambush even though it had been a rather haphazard one at that because of how fast it happened. Only the closest guards—those twelve—were contacted because the last point when he saw Macarona and Medouco was in the corridor when they were heading into the western tower. They would've had no time to even move those fireworks at all because the ambush needed to be prepared. Without time and acknowledgment of those, it failed.

Anten's whole body tensed up in anger, his teeth gritting in pure rage before he abruptly stood from the chair and whirled around to try ripping it from the metal floor underneath it. When that didn't work with his hands alone he conjured shadows out from behind him to perform the deed and throw the chair at several of the glass eyes. They shattered all over the floor upon impact, the shards littering the floor while the demonic assassin screamed in anger. If Satanick or Yagi were here, they would've killed him for damaging the system even if he hadn't outright destroyed it, but right now Anten didn't give any shits about what they would've done upon discovering what he'd done out of anger. It was somewhat justified in his mind, however, for the angel and that demonic maid with her somehow activated all those fireworks by accident all by throwing one frag grenade—even when Medouco wasn't the one who threw it, but Macarona. How it all went to shit…

"Damn you, you bloody angel…you lousy sack of shit…" he growled, so wanting to rip the angelic girl in two. "This is all your fault, you stupid, little bitch…If I can't rely on the damn guards to slaughter you, I'll kill you myself. That should please your damn demand." Looking over at a glass eye that still functioned, he observed where those girls were to determine the precise location as to where he should've gone. "Going up to the boss' secret office, eh?" he murmured as he saw them emerge from the elevator and cautiously approach an ornate door in a corridor outside that place. "Fine, that'll be your tomb for now. I suppose it doesn't matter anymore if you find anything since you won't escape this time."

…

Breathing heavy sighs of relief as they finally had a chance to recover from their near encounter with death at the hands of those guards and possibly from those fireworks, Macarona and Medouco both relished in the opportunity to rest. Leaning against the wall and slumping to the floor on purpose for a seat, the Gorgon kept quivering nervously as she kept taking deep breaths to calm her heart after the adrenaline finished pumping through her veins. The angel meanwhile only leaned against the wall without slumping, situated across the elevator from the maid with her arms crossed. Glancing up at the dial turning to the right indicating they were heading up, she observed the words in this underworld's national language and noted only two were present. Narrowing her eyes and raising an eyebrow at the strange decision to only display just a couple of words, Macarona wondered why the elevator would've went back and forth between just two destinations if her theory about it being connected to the two words was correct. Thinking she should've inquired Medouco about it, she just simply shrugged to herself and let the matter drop despite wondering where their destination was, figuring the maid likely didn't know what was ahead of them. The fact the skeleton key didn't work only meant that Satanick could've used this to get to and from the basement from wherever the elevator went to above because he had the master skeleton key for access which enabled him to use the elevator. Thankfully the destruction caused by the fireworks negated the need for that key.

However, neither of them knew what was beyond the elevator door once it stopped. Unlike other elevators in the Devil's Kingdom, this one was a modern elevator. Others were more antiquated with just a sturdy frame of metal coming across as a sliding door with the appearance of a fence. Macarona had only seen a few of these during her stay here, yet the unique traits of this particular elevator made it stand out from the others. In those it was easy to look through the fence door at what was beyond; the modern design of this one prevented that with a steel door bearing no peepholes to look beyond it out into what was on the other side. Though it was quite a leap in logic, Macarona felt this specific elevator with its modern design and the two words above the dial indicated the Gentleman Devil used it for some secretive purpose. She could only guess that it would've taken her and Medouco to somewhere Satanick didn't want them or anyone else—maybe besides Yagi—to go, a specific place or room in Nightrise Castle forbidden to everyone but himself and those he fully trusted with the secret of whatever was beyond the elevator door. Whatever that secret was, nobody would know until it fully opened.

"That was quite a turmoil…" Medouco spoke up in between breaths. "We narrowly avoided our end there…"

"Only to enter what may be the inner recesses of the lion's den…" Macarona thought aloud in response.

"W-wha…?" Medouco blinked fearfully in confusion, uncertain if she heard that remark correctly or not.

"That's right, look above at the dial and both words suggesting one locale is the basement," the angel explained briefly. "Where would we end up if not there? Coupled with the elevator's modern design, I'd say we're not meant to see what's beyond it, more less traverse the threshold." Turning to face Medouco, she looked down at the maid once she was finishing noting how far they were from wherever the elevator went. "This is likely something Mr. Satanick wants to keep under wraps, a secret he wants covered up to ensure whatever's within wherever we're going won't get him caught if it is discovered." Extending a hand out to help her demonic friend up which the Gorgon accepted, Macarona then took a deep breath and cracked her knuckles to prepare herself for any kind of conflict that would've been ahead of them. "He'll likely have it guarded by traps and puzzles if not by guards. They probably don't even have clearance for this level of access."

"So we'll be a bit safer then?"

Macarona shrugged when replying to the demon's question. "Who knows? Maybe from the guards unless he does happen to have some elite soldiers protecting the area, or perhaps from whatever the puzzles and traps would be. We won't know until the elevator door opens so we can proceed forward into whatever's ahead of us. We must be absolutely ready and prepared for anything that lies beyond this door precisely because we know nothing about what is ahead of us."

The Gorgon took another deep breath and steadied her resolve to help the angel, gripping her healing staff tightly. "Alright, I'll be right behind you, Macarona. I don't know how much help I'll really be to you after this point, but I will do my very best as a healer." She didn't add 'personal warden' to that statement; it no longer applied anymore because she'd been targeted too as a potential threat against her superiors. That was what she got for helping Macarona and not revealing what the angel was doing, but Medouco knew the Gentleman Devil had other plans and motives for wanting to get rid of her. No longer would she serve Satanick anymore because he was trying to have her killed, whether in this turmoil or due to the abusive punishment he put her through at times by violently hurting her with his abilities as a Devil at times when he wasn't pleased by her work or discovered she made a mistake by accident. Even so, she was still afraid; however, she was not going to stand for it any longer and was glad to have a friend like Macarona who understood her and treated her well. Even if Macarona had used her also like Satanick had, Medouco still stood by her decision of helping the angel because it was only right to help Macarona because the young angel cared for her even while needing Medouco to keep silent about opposing Satanick. She might've been scared, but Medouco wouldn't dare back down when her friend needed her help.

Averting her attention back to the Gorgon, Macarona shut her eyes and smiled. "Thank you, Medouco, that's all I am asking of you. I appreciate you being here by my side as we attempt to escape so we can stop the Gentleman Devil."

Medouco smiled back. "You're welcome, Macarona," she said as the elevator door finally opened to admit the two girls access to a corridor devoid of anything except an ornate door across from them. Taking deep breaths and facing the exit, they both turned to look at each other again before nodding and stepping out. Cautiously leaving the elevator as it closed behind them, they entered the corridor and carefully approached the mahogany door. Its planks were firmly held in place by rectangular plates of ebony design, the high quality of ebony suggesting whatever was behind the door was what they had expected to be a great secret Satanick kept locked away under lock and key. A golden doorknob with a keyhole below it indicated the door must've been locked, so Macarona carefully checked if it could be unlocked with the skeleton key. "Nope, no good, the skeleton key won't work," she stated after trying it. "Only the master skeleton key will work, but I bet I could probably break the lock." Gesturing for Medouco to stand back, Macarona stepped back too to kick the knob.

"And if it doesn't work?" the demonic maid voiced that concern, worried they'd need to return to the basement.

"Then I'll try to break the door down itself unless it's protected by an enchantment," Macarona continued while applying somatomantic energy to one foot and whirling to smash the doorknob. Her endeavor was successful as the knob broke apart from the door and landed on the floor, bouncing a few times before rolling around to a complete stop. "If that's not going to work, we really might have to go back down the elevator and take our chances in the basement," she added to confirm the Gorgon's concern. Stepping forward again and kneeling somewhat to check the lock, Macarona brought out the skeleton key again and instead of inserting it into the lock, she applied somatomantic energy to her hand this time since she was going to thrust the skeleton key through the hole where the door knob once was. Having checked first to confirm if the other side was weakened by the blow she dealt, the angel proceeded to shove the skeleton key inside after seeing the results of her attack. Added to this was the fierce punch included to also break the lock which successfully worked. Upon applying this method of opening the door, it burst open immediately revealing the interior of a large cabinet that burst open too. Yet nothing was actually inside the cabinet, revealing it was a secret door. "So much for the one master skeleton key."

"I suppose that's one way of lockpicking it," Medouco joked lightheartedly to alleviate the tension, making both herself and Macarona chuckle at the quip while they stepped inside to find an office space across the threshold. Looking at the setup, it was a simple room filled with: filing cabinets, a desk in the center at the far end of the wall across from a door to their right, bookcases for manila folders of documents and images if any were included, and safes with numbered locks. "My, how plain," she commented after they noted the lack of any decorative furniture and artwork in the office. "I would have expected something more secretive with a bit of a grander style, like if this were a treasury, but it isn't so impressive."

"Maybe it's not meant to be, or perhaps this is part of a trap or a puzzle," Macarona commented and sauntered to the window across from one bookcase, gazing out into the night sky and noting a plateau was beyond the castle wall. The hill leading up to the top ended at a huge drop; if somebody fell over the edge, the person would tumble to the castle wall.

"I don't think so…" the demonic maid disagreed on the idea as she started examining the bookcases to analyze what was inside. "These doors are all locked, probably for the master skeleton key. I'm surprised there's no real security."

"If there aren't any traps or puzzles, I'd say it's because Mr. Satanick doesn't want anybody to solve them or to even disarm them. Besides, he might have to be concerned about whether they can be turned against him someway in the event it was either by accident or on purpose if somebody tinkered with the devices," the young angel suggested and went to examine the bookcases with the maid. "There sure are a lot of folders here, each with a lock as well which surprises me. I never expected to find locks on manila folders of all things, though this is the Gentleman Devil we're up against here. He will obviously go to great lengths just to cover something up, so it should only be expected he'd do something this odd and secretive." Putting a hand to the glass and examining it, Macarona felt it as her eyes pored over the folders labeled with all kinds of words from the language she couldn't understand—maybe multiple languages if Satanick went that far. Going to the desk, she found nothing real noteworthy on top aside from a desktop calendar and the usual office utilities like pencils and papers such as documents and reports. A few manuscripts stood neatly on top, held up by bookends, though these did not open either because again they required the master skeleton key to open them. Trying to force it open would've likely destroyed the books even if part of whatever information was written on the pages within survived. Unable to read any of the titles or open any of the desk drawers because they too were locked and would've required the same master skeleton key, Macarona moved the chair out of the way to get on her back to examine the bottom of the desk for any further clues.

Peering underneath it, she noticed a bit of an indent below the counter and pressed it with her hand to move it for the indented space appeared to be a latch of some kind that surprisingly didn't require the key. Sliding it to the side to check if anything useful was inside, Macarona's eyes widened slightly in curiosity when she found what appeared to be a puzzle of sorts. Guessing their theory of there not being any puzzles or traps was incorrect, the angel reached a hand up to feel the puzzle while examining it. Based on its design, it was a lock much like those on the safes around this office except for the fact that other sliders besides the one she moved were indented too. Each slider had numbers on it that corresponded to a clock going clockwise or counterclockwise if she were to go in the opposite direction. Yet it was also possible for there to be other combinations. As there were four sliders each with three numbers on them ranging from one to twelve, she began to deduce the total number of combinations was high and started with the easiest clockwise one first just to get a feel for it. However, upon pushing all the sliders inside, Macarona discovered they locked in place and were actually meant to keep the lock from turning without them inserted. Possibly a clever usage of Occam's Razor if Satanick made it that complex to solve, for anybody who knew him would've expected there to be a proper combination that would not set off any traps.

"Have you found something, Macarona?" Medouco asked as she walked towards the desk.

"Yeah, a lock of some sort like the safes," the angelic girl responded once she finished inserting the sliders. Now all she needed was a combination for this much harder lock, and it might not have been as easy as inserting the sliders was. "I'm afraid I don't know the combination, unfortunately, though it's attached to the desk and might unlock all the drawers. It's a stretch even without the right combination, though maybe I could possibly break it like I did with the moments ago."

"I don't think that would be a good idea," the maid doubted that. "What if the desk broke without opening?"

"It's the only one I can think of as a first resort that would be quicker than trying to solve it," Macarona replied. "I know I'm rushing, though I'm afraid I don't have the time to solve puzzles like this when my world's in danger while the Devil declaring war against it gets away with it. If we had more time and knew where to look, we could try to solve this." Once more she had to rely on her inner reserves of somatomantic energy to break the lock with her fist, smashing a hole in the surface which didn't startle Medouco since the Gorgon was used to Macarona's strength and usage of somatomancy. Small gears and interior devices gradually went awry, lines snapping and whipping about throughout the desk as all of the drawers miraculously opened simultaneously moments later after the angel stood up. Inside each one were blueprints and photos, schematics of various buildings the girls were unfamiliar with along with pictures of several individuals. Looking them over, Macarona's eyes widened upon finding pictures of Kcalb and Etihw there which supported the notion that the Gentleman Devil actually did want to start a war with the Gray Garden all along as she suspected. She didn't really know to what extent in regards to how long the planning stage took, but among them were photos of Blancblack Castle and also the various towns in her home world with the regions each town was situated in. This was quite a find, but more was there.

Together she and Medouco could see pictures of GriRea and her subordinates like Sibuna, schematics of a castle they would've lived and worked in. Implications of a conspiracy, a coup d'état, were very well evident in these photos of them that were hidden by Satanick. Additionally, there were photos of other Devils like Reficul and Rosaliya with pictures of their own worlds. It was an entire array of blueprints and photos with documents in another language that would've for sure described things clarified in terms obviously denoting treason via assassinations and other clandestine acts Although Medouco was uncertain of what all this meant, Macarona obviously knew she had to do something and thought of her disposable cellphone. She quickly rummaged around in her backpack for it—yet another gift from Chlomaki, one which the Witch of Shadows said was designed to perfectly replicate any cellphone in existence once one number was added. According to a note Chlomaki had left behind, it was made by another witch, the same one who had invented those smokescreen devices she installed around her quarters earlier. Trusting the instructions, Macarona had entered her own cellphone number in when she received it and it miraculously worked like a charm, instantaneously adding other numbers that were on her actual cellphone which she hadn't received back with her other things. That was fine since it would've been no problem reacquiring new stuff back home, though all she had on her for now were the things in the backpack and nothing else. Medouco was included, but as a friend she'd bring with her too for healing and to save her life. Yet this was a critical means of delivering this newfound evidence that proved some damning intentions on the Gentleman Devil's part. Macarona needed to be sure she kept this safe from him and his associates, but knew not how to turn it over to those who would look at it and truly see Satanick for who he really was even if they already had a good impression without evidence. Until now, anyway, though this proof needed to be revealed; until it could be brought to light, it had to be strictly protected.

"A-ah, Macarona!" Medouco rushed to the door, looking through the peephole to find out who was coming towards them when they heard footsteps. Gazing out at several demons on the other side, she realized they were guards and that Anten was leading the group. Of the guards besides the demonic assassin, she could make out around twenty this time—a slightly larger number than the previous unit she and Macarona dealt with down in the basement, but a serious threat all the same especially because they had nowhere to go now. If they went back down there, they would be trapped. As for the squad up here, all she saw were the twenty-one in her eyesight—Anten and the other twenty consisting of knights and warriors as the direct combat unit with assassins, gunners, janissaries and nightblades providing the support. "I-it's Anten, h-he's here already! H-how could he have found out where we'd gone so fast?! A-ah, this is such a disaster!"

"Somehow he probably knows this area based on where the elevator goes," Macarona deduced, rifling through the photos, schematics, and documents while taking pictures of as many as she could on the disposable cellphone. She had good reason to worry about finishing quickly to then escape, perhaps by smashing the window to escape. Although it was possible she wouldn't be able to get away, if Medouco could while taking the disposable cellphone with these pictures on it, so much the better because the Gorgon could escape and try to avoid the guards while the angel fought back to draw all attention onto her. Macarona wished there was another way, but time wasn't on their side in this situation. And yet in spite of that severe limitation restricting how much they could do and how far they could go, her eyes widened at a discovery in the desk. Having gone through some photos in a drawer, the young angel moved them aside to look for more evidence in there when she suddenly caught something else she hadn't expected to find. Phone numbers, all in another dialect which a person not familiar in speaking or writing it wouldn't have known, and all not of the Devil's Kingdom's national language at all. Rather, they were in a completely different language to hide what kind of phone numbers they were and who these numbers belonged to. Yet the biggest surprise to Macarona's shock was that she knew this language and these numbers as well…and she certainly knew who exactly they belonged to because she herself miraculously knew them all personally. Furthermore, she recognized something else, another number she recognized too next to a title describing what it actually was. At once Macarona knew exactly what it was and how to use it to her advantage if she and Medouco escaped alive.

"Blow the lock!" they could hear Anten's commanding voice through the door giving the guards orders. "Place the detonators on there now! I don't care if this is the boss' private office, they're not getting away this time! Just get in and kill them once and for all! I'll show those bitches what happens when they stick their bloody noses where they shouldn't!"

"Shouldn't we try to unlock it instead?" one guard casually asked to avoid damaging Satanick's private office.

"What the hell do you think?!" came the rhetorical response from Anten. "I said to blow it, not use a damn key!"

"T-they're coming in!" the demonic maid gasped and stumbled backwards when she tried to get away, tripping over her feet despite managing to regain her balance by the desk as she rushed behind Macarona for protection. Shivering timidly, the frightened Gorgon's eyes darted around for somewhere they could go to escape, but no options were present. If they were to flee through the window now, they'd get chased by Anten and the guards. Worse, they might get caught in the explosion once the door was detonated, possibly suffering harsh wounds that might not have killed them, yet would've certainly been the cause of getting nabbed and executed on the spot. Or they just might've been killed in the explosion then and there which would've done their enemies' work for them even if said foes caused their deaths with the explosion. The basement was no longer an option either for the same reason and because more guards were most likely down there now, possibly coming up from that area too because the elevator was damaged despite still functioning. Only access into it was destroyed, most likely allowing the door to open and admit guards into it so they could box the girls in via a strategic pincer movement. Light slowly started seeping in from the searchlights outside as the demons carrying them attempted to make the girls blind to attacks from their brethren. There was no way out; they were trapped. "O-oh, how are we going to escape this?!" Medouco panicked, turning ashen at the belief she and Macarona were going to die here. "W-we can't fight them all off at once! W-we're d-doomed for sure once they finally come in!" From the look of it, they truly were that doomed.

"Calm down, Medouco, I'm trying to think of something…" her angelic friend murmured and stood in front of her to protect the Gorgon. She had already finished putting the numbers into her cellphone along with that special number. There was no time to send everything now as they had to confront the demons outside this room first and try to flee alive. All they could do was hope everything would end well so they could escape safely. They just needed yet another miracle.

After tense moments of waiting for their foes to blow the door down and emerge, it happened. Ducking behind the desk for cover to avoid the explosion and the debris sent flying by it, Macarona and Medouco stood up carefully right after it occurred. Watching the smoke begin to clear, they could see Anten stomping forward as several guards behind him stormed the room as well. Directing their weapons towards the girls, they held back on account of a gesture Anten quickly made when he raised his hand to halt their attack for several moments. The demonic assassin leading them wasn't smiling because he wasn't happy; that emotion was lost, replaced by intense rage he felt towards the girls for making a fool of him and the guards before. Macarona especially was the target of much ire due to her remarks and uncanny intuition of how to get this far—surprisingly without killing any guards which was a miracle. Only problem was that they were wounded, the issue causing great distress for the demons because they had to work harder to try and contain this predicament without the support any injured guards could've provided. Additionally, there were the ones occupied by the property damage and the valid threat of outside attacks which kept them too busy from effectively joining this group taking on the girls. Without any backup, it was going to be difficult fighting Macarona unless they could somehow get a better edge over her. So far they trapped her and the demonic maid, but there was still a small chance the two of them could escape. Anten didn't want that to happen because his life was on the line as was everyone else's, their lives and careers in Satanick's employ being quite exposed and threatened by these girls and the interventions they could cause by escaping and revealing the whole truth to the public. If they got away, it was the end for them. "I've got no words for you this time, bitch," he spoke up, addressing Macarona as he made eye contact with her. "You've been a real pain in the ass for us to deal with. All this time we had to try and regulate the shit you caused. Do you have any idea just how hard it is to cover up any and all evidence against us?"

"I thought you said you had no words for me," the angel stated not as a mocking insult, but to buy more time.

"I don't," Anten admitted, finding it hard to believe he was actually entertaining her remark. Somehow this was slightly amusing to him even if he didn't smirk or chuckle, let alone smile and laugh aloud at it. "And yet here we are, talking to one another as enemies facing off on the battlefield. Not a true battlefield like one you'd find outdoors, though an interior could be one just as well." He sighed, figuring it was time to end it for them. "That aside, it's time for you to die."

"At their hands, not yours?" the angel inquired to extend how much time she and Medouco had. Considering the demonic assassin was one of Satanick's Fingers, if they defeated him it was possible to take down the other guards as well.

"What, on my own?" the demonic man retorted, recalling how he tried to take her and Lil on by himself. "After what happened to me the last time when I went it alone, I'll not make the same mistake again. I've learned my lesson the hard way so to speak, so now I've got at least enough backup to finally kick your ass this time to end your life for good."

"Well, good luck with that, though I'm sure you'll probably still lose all the same even with these numbers."

"What, some angelic little shit like you can stand against us? You may be a reincarnated descendant of Rigatona, Macarona, but even you certainly can't beat this many of us at once despite stopping another Devil and a Cherub angel."

"You'll see," Macarona retorted. "I can certainly do enough damage to become a cause of concern and fear."

"Well, we'll certainly see about that," Anten shot back and lowered his hand to let the guards start attacking with him. "Men, you have your orders. Just start wailing on them. Don't let friendly fire be a concern for you if you need to fire. Take them both out now so we can finally be rid of this scum, the scourge of our lives so she'll no longer be a serious pain in the ass. She may be a bane, but soon enough she'll be dead for sure. Same goes for that damn maid; kill her as well." At once the guards complied, lining to prepare for an attack. Their approach was suicide for they could've lost and the idea of friendly fire was being ignored for the sake of killing these girls. Yet they willingly made the sacrifice, choosing to take chances now rather than later when the odds wouldn't be in their favor anymore. This was their final chance to cover their crimes up for good, and they seized the opportunity at once, clinging to it desperately without letting go because if they did they would've lost it forever. Both them and their targets needed to settle this now, for their respective agendas had to battle out to decide the victor in this one instance. Only those who were victorious would go forth to complete their objectives. It was an uneasy fight that had already started even though no attacks were being made right at this very second. Heightened tension was extremely evident in the start of this battle, for this was going to determine the fate of both sides in this battle.

And yet surprisingly enough…the battle immediately took a strange turn when a sudden explosion blew up the area around the window. Rocking the area and making both sides take cover while those who were harmed were sent into the opposite wall and other guards, knocking them down as everyone tried to recover. Macarona and Medouco had both stumbled off balance despite managing to regain it when the angel grabbed the desk with one hand and the Gorgon's arm with the other, taking cover behind it to avoid any debris that was also sent flying. Coughing because of the dust they were inhaling, they staggered to their feet after emerging from behind the desk to see what was going on. The dust was clearing gradually, yet they could make out blood and dismembered limbs among the wreckage along with a few dead bodies of their opponents strewn about. Anten had survived as well, and he too was uneasily staggering to his feet when somebody else, a third party to this fight, rode in on a motorbike. One warrior who had been in the way was crushed the moment the motorbike landed, swirling around as it skidded to a stop while pinning a knight to the wall with the back wheel. Moments later a shotgun was placed to his helm and the trigger was pulled, blowing the knight's head clean off with one fatal shot.

If this third party consisted of an unexpected guest—more if more individuals were present in it—nobody knew, it'd have been difficult to determine this party's motives and which of the other two sides they'd join. As it was, they were clearly recognizable to Macarona and Medouco. "Met!" Macarona murmured in awe, surprised to find the ghost girl was their savior while another girl dismounted from the bike. "Hanten! What are you two doing here? How did you know—"

"Best save your inquiry for another time, Macarona," the demonic girl replied, shadows emerging from around her and converging into sharp tendrils and blades she planned to use against the demonic guards. "For now, let's just say a mutual friend of ours told us what was going on. We couldn't let you two have all the fun with these guys, now could we?" Directing her attention to Anten once her eyes fell upon his disheveled form, she smiled wickedly. "Hello, Brother."

"H-Hanten?" the demonic assassin coughed as he was staggering to his feet and struggling to stand. "The hell?"

"Oh, and we're not alone either," Met added when a crow suddenly shot through the hole, her wing slicing the throats of two janissaries to kill them instantly while a dark orb joined her to explode and kill four more guards. "We have friends! The more the merrier, after all! Now, let's have some fun, shall we? Can't leave here without some murdering!"

"Enough with the idle chatter, Met," Kurotsuno remarked calmly as she reverted to her regular form, standing in the gory remains of a guard who died in the explosion. "Remember, you do have a job to do and I have a complaint to put in." Conjuring her lance, she twirled it around like a baton and stopped seconds later with the tip pointing down at the floor. "I do need to file a lawsuit against the Gentleman Devil for being responsible for being a party to the property damage."

"Aw, come on, can't I at least kill a few of them?" the ghost requested miserably, unhappy she didn't get to have fun with them. She'd been looking forward to this raid ever since they were asked to help, and she wanted to do her part.

"No," Hanten instructed her coldly, a wicked grin on her face. "Just get going. It won't be pretty, even for you."

"Hey, hey, don't worry about it, Met," Chlomaki remarked as she flew in too to join the party. "I'm sure there's plenty of our Devil's goons for you to slay on the way over. Let's just grab our luggage and leave these girls to their work." Turning to face Macarona and Medouco, smiling and giving a thumb up at the bewildered pair, she beckoned them over. "Come on, girls, let's get you two out of here. I'm sure you'll want to enjoy some peace of mind away from these guys."

"A-ah, u-um, yes, that would be nice!' the demonic maid replied as she scrambled to get on the bike as the angel claimed a spot behind the Witch of Shadows on her ebony broomstick. "P-please, get us out of here! D-don't drop me!"

"Nah, don't worry about it, you'll be fine as long as you hold on," the witch advised her while Macarona and the Gorgon followed their advice. "And don't thank us yet, girls, we've still got a road ahead of us to get you out of this joint."

"You've already got it, Chlomaki," Macarona smiled from behind the witch. "Thanks for rescuing us. Medouco and I would've been done for if you girls hadn't shown up just in the nick of time. You're all real lifesavers, you know?"

"Pleasure's all ours, Macarona," Hanten responded without looking back at her. "Now get out of here."

The angel nodded. "Yes, thanks again for your help. We appreciate it," she replied as she and the demonic maid departed with Chlomaki and Medouco, finally seizing the opportunity to escape Nightrise Castle for good. "Just try to not hurt too many of them real badly!" she requested on the way out. "They should at least be given fair trials as punishment!"

"Sure, sure," Hanten stated, waving a hand back at them while they left before turning back to the guards and her brother. Whether they left anyone alive or not was up to her and Kurotsuno and the chance of whether these guys survived their assault. The two of them couldn't exactly guarantee their safety even if they did try to decrease their severity. "Ah, this should be fun. Who wouldn't pass up the opportunity to infiltrate a castle like this and siege the whole damn place to hell?"

"Only those who are truly sane and know they shouldn't mess with the authorities," Kurotsuno murmured, her eyes closed as she cracked her knuckles. "Then again, they do need to pay for the property damage they caused before."

"Oh, believe me, they will," Hanten responded while her brother choked out a retort against them.

"Hey, you bitches think you can get away with this?!" he demanded and was subsequently startled badly when his sister warped directly in front of him. A wicked grin wider than her previous one was all he needed to know about how brutally dangerous his sister was and how deadly it would've become facing her even if he was in perfect health or not.

"Oh, we already have…" she chuckled sinisterly, that sadistic grin being the last he ever saw of her while alive.

…

He stood on a hill and stared up at the night sky ahead of him, hands behind his back with a rapier sheathed at his side. Attired in a full suit of Kevlar and admiring the stars above for a bit, he sighed momentarily to get back to business. Closing his eyes as he turned around to face several of his fellows of Zlienderstrom's Thieves' Guild, he opened them again to address several captives they took hostage to interrogate them regarding the abuse of Zlienderstrom's residents and other demons in the Devil's Kingdom. "You know…" he mused and shut his eyes again, "I was once an aristocrat as well…Like some of you I joined the military for power and ascended through the ranks to the position I received before I was sacked from my privileged reward. The rest of you, however, were not because you merely did what you could to be blessed with such power and the wealth you've accumulated with it. While I did the same, unlike you I have chosen to put it back into the community we were supposed to protect and serve, not inhibit and imprison like mongrels. I care about this community and the fate of its people, including those in the rest of the civilization we call the Devil's Kingdom. While that includes the civilians, it also includes both the men and women under my command and protection as well, not just any of the specific groupings you have categorized with awful restrictions. Unlike you, I can see around corners and consider the international scale of affairs that affects us, not just the national customs that have shaped what the Devil's Kingdom is." Stepping forward toward the aristocrats in their clutches, he kneeled down and continued the dialogue he shared with them. "That's why I joined the military, to serve and protect not those who use their power to abuse civilization for their own goals, but the innocent—those who must be saved from this corruption. To use great power, you must be responsible for your actions and determine what the best course of action is to save the people being abused. And believe me, they need saving, alright, for there is a serious imbalance of power that must be corrected. Do you know what hurts this hell?"

"Recognize what that is?" Rattle sneered in a snarky manner through a wry flash of grinning teeth while fiddling with an amulet on his tail. It was a badge of office in one of the major enterprises of this underworld, one that dealt with the chemical operations for producing ingredients that went into medicine sold in pharmacies. On the surface it was actually a legitimate business, but under the surface the executives bribed scientists to lie about the negative side effects. Both parties, the enterprise and those scientists, benefitted financially from that agreement which greatly filled their pockets with plenty of gold until today when they were caught. Their captives were in fact members of that enterprise. "Greed for wealth and power, the kind of under the counter deals you make behind closed doors to secure your economic and political futures. A shame we can't be party to those negotiations, what with morals you don't possess, but we still know every single detail."

"Exactly, for he is right," Yarg Xof agreed and stood up to turn and walk away from them. "Tell me, gentleman, you claim to create cures for diseases and wounds. What exactly are your cures meant to cure if they do not solve issues in the sense of both biological health and social health? Are they effective in making patients better or your wallets fuller?"

"You're a resident of this underworld too, aren't you?!" one of the captives demanded. "Surely you understand what we do is for ourselves, for our own benefit in this rat race we call the Devil's Kingdom?! You are the same as us!" In less than a second blood was pooling out of a hole in chest caused when the rapier was thrust through it to slay the demon.

"Wrong answer," Yarg Xof commented blandly and stepped in front of a second captive. "And you…?"

"What should we cure?! Surely you realize by now that as a former man of the military, it is only right and justice to follow the laws put in place by the government. How are we any different in that regard when we are simply following those laws? We are granted privileges to administrate our business as we see fit, and it is only natural to care about profits."

"True, money makes the world go round," Yarg replied, concurring with that assessment. "It is considered to be a vital organ of society that keeps it alive, a necessary evil if you will even if it is also considered the root of all evil because of what profit can tempt people to do whether it's for monetary profit or for something else beneficial. You are also correct that following laws is right and just, but that is where you are wrong. If a government is hurting its people with corruption, how can one expect to follow the laws if they are written and implemented to benefit those with wealth and power instead of those who do not possess such luxuries you have? I speak not of legality, but of morality; what would a good man do?"

"A good man would follow the law! He would support it in every capacity so long as it benefits him even if it is at the expense of others! We're right to do that because the laws in the Devil's Kingdom, those made by Satanick himself, give us that freedom! Why should we give a damn about what others think and believe in when we've got the power and wealth and they don't?! They don't even deserve to have either because they are inexperienced scum stealing all they—"

"They steal because they must…" the Bori commented somberly as he ended this prisoner's life. "They steal to live, because aristocrats of the upper class like you gentleman steal everything from them in the first place without sharing. There are people who need it more than you in order to survive, yet you disregard them because you are in power with the wealth. You refuse to see them for who they are and instead force them to take up lifestyles that oppose yours so they can survive." Facing the other captive aristocrats, he wore an expression of determination and experience on his face. "And by adopting these lifestyles, their personal struggles to survive, you can say you're justified in stealing from them while killing them as well whether it's with actual murder or slow torment without the necessities they need to live. To that I say we are justified in stealing everything you stole from the people to give it back to them, to execute you for murders and other crimes you are able to get away with by law and loopholes within those laws. Our ideals are different from yours, yet both of us are quite radical; the only difference you fail to realize by not bothering to learn about it or even acknowledge it if you do know is our cause. We're forced to implement such radical measures against those you utilize for your own benefit at the expense of others. You show no gratitude or appreciation towards them, nor any remorse. We're doing what we must to survive and protect those we care about, the people you abuse with your power. That's a civic duty we take up as both soldiers and individuals, caring for them and protecting them because nobody else ever has as of yet," he ended his speech.

"Words of wisdom from a man of humble origins before joining the aristocratic rat race," a shadowfoot stated.

"It's a rat race, true," Rattle spoke up, "but an unhealthy one at that because you lot kill off competition and also the spectators too. Where is the healthy competition, the fair circulation of wealth and all that stuff of honor between you?"

"Even though many of us in this castle town's Thieves' Guild were once officially soldiers until Satanick forced us all to rebel due to replacing us with more corrupt soldiers," Yarg went on, "we are still bound by duty and honor. There shall be a day when we may sheathe our weapons and lay them down for peace and harmony. That day is sadly not yet."

"Captain!" a nightblade called out to him as she ran up to deliver a report. "Somebody's approaching the gate!"

"Someone has the courage to challenge us?" he inquired curiously, wondering who it was. "Even after we have made the announcement that we have taken hostages and are willing to go to war against Satanick and his monarchy all to reform the Devil's Kingdom and make it a better place for everyone to live peacefully in harmony? A curious matter."

The snake demon at his side chuckled slyly. "Likely some foolish dipshit seeking foolhardy glory without even investigating who we are and what we're capable of. I could go for a nice, fun bout against some fool. Should be easy."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Rattle," the Thieves' Guild leader said to rein in his ally and turned to address the nightblade. "Tell me, do you know who it is and how many to expect? I have given the order that no terms are to even be made, so who would want to try their luck against skilled combatants while risking the lives of these prisoners we have begun interrogating before distributing fair justice against them on behalf of those they victimized with their corruption?"

"It's several girls, sir, one of whom appears to be Chlomaki."

"The Witch of Shadows is among them?" the Bori asked rhetorically, familiar with Chlomaki. Sometimes she came down to the Underground Railroad District on occasion for a bite to eat. An odd witch to be sure, but one he trusted because she never gave their existence away and was in a position not to which benefitted the district. "Why'd she come?"

"We don't know, sir, but there are three other girls with her. Two of them are also Macarona and Medouco."

"Finally coming to join the Thieves' Guild, eh?" Rattle chuckled at the thought of their enrollment in the guild.

"Whatever their reason, they can enter," Yarg smiled at the mention of those girls, liking Macarona's sense of honor and justice because it aligned with his. Granted, some of the things he did were radical because of who the Thieves' Guild was going up against, but the young angel was different. She too had to take the hard road, though preferred a much better way to peace for all. She was a diplomatic one, that girl; he could tell from their first meeting, and he liked that trait.

"They already have," the nightblade explained. "The guards watching the gate recognized them and let the girls pass. Should we meet up with them to join forces and take them under our protection, or should we let them proceed?"

"Let them proceed," the Thieves' Guild leader replied happily, somehow getting the feeling he knew where they were going. He had received a very cryptic message from Chlomaki the other day that simply said something would soon occur. Now that the Witch of Shadows was with Macarona and Medouco, he had an idea of just what was occurring. The belief soon proved to be true when he saw them pass by near where they were. Medouco rode on a motorbike behind the driver of said motorbike, whereas Macarona was seated behind Chlomaki on the ebony broomstick. Neither party needed to say anything, but when the young angel glimpsed Yarg Xof she smiled and raised a hand to salute him. He smiled back and saluted her in response to return the gesture, knowing exactly where they'd be going as he turned his eyes towards the castle looming over Zlienderstrom. Smoke was rising from behind it, a possible indication that it was time for an invasion.

"You sure you want to let them go?" Rattle inquired. "They could prove most useful to us, you know, boss?"

"They go because they must," Yarg turned to put forth a counterpoint on the girls' behalf. "The Gray Garden is in danger from our underworld's Devil. It is up to them to save that world from him, just as it's up to us to save ours also." Strolling over to a spot where he'd have Nightrise Castle in the background behind him, he raised an arm to put forth one more speech. It was a brief one, but very effective. "Come, my friends and allies! Let us retake the home dear to us and the people of this underworld! For honor, glory, and those we cherish and wish to keep safe! Onward to Nightrise Castle!"

…

 **Ah, another long chapter done with just a few more to go. This one took quite a while to write, but I am glad it's finished so I can keep going with the story. Some things in real life have just started, however, and what I have to do will keep me preoccupied from writing as much as I'd like to. Still, I'll try to manage my time as best I can to ensure there will be time for me to work on the rest of this story further and others proceeding it. I'm doing my best so far, but it's quite likely more time will have to be allotted to what I do in real life more often for a while.**

 **An oubliette is a kind of dungeon that can only be entered through a trapdoor or a hatch in the floor or a ceiling. The etymology for dungeons according to Wikipedia states that its French pronunciation, 'donjon', is also another way of saying the word 'keep' which has become synonymous with 'cell' and 'oubliette' in pop culture even though the academic meaning is used as well. Both the English and French translations of 'dungeon' might have derived from 'dominio' which is Middle Latin for referring to a master or a lord. However, the way it's said in French continues to use this allusion to 'keep', whereas in English the term denotes the French oubliette. In the French language, 'oubliette' was defined as a forgotten place because prisoners in one were meant to be forgotten by those who imprisoned them. Conversely, 'donjon' has come to include prison cells in its meaning as the word evolved in some places, and this definition might've affected the English translation which originally denoted cells in tall towers before being changed to the opposite—cells that were part of an oubliette with some torture rooms. Hence the word 'oubliette' which was first used in French in 1374, but Sir Walter Scott used it in English too when he wrote Ivanhoe, a historical novel that had contributed to a rise in medievalism and romance, in 1819.**

 **Amber is a kind of gemstone that is produced by fossilized tree resin which has been considered valuable for its beauty and color ever since the Neolithic periods of time. It can be made into decorative objects and is used in perfumes and healing agents of folk medicine. However, the usage of amber in this story was inspired by how it was used in the Shivering Isles expansion pack of Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, which also inspired the Mithril too.**

 **Spearmen were a kind of infantry unit in the Ancient and Medieval periods. There were many uses for spears and lances in those times such as for establishing phalanxes and jousting on horseback—and maybe on foot too if that was possible—in addition to forming a defensive line against enemy cavalry units. You can learn more about this and the aforementioned topics above on Wikipedia if you are interested in these subjects.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Elder Scrolls series; it is owned by Bethesda.**


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